August 31, 2006	Thursday	Sha'aban 6, 1427

ISLAMABAD, Aug 30: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Wednesday that bilateral trade between Pakistan and China would cross $5 billion mark during the current fiscal year.

The premier was talking to a 16-member delegation of Chinese Communist Party Political Bureau, led by member of Politburo and Secretariat of Central Committee and Minister of Publicity Department Liu Yunshan who called on him in his chamber at the parliament house.

An official announcement said that the premier told the delegation that Karakoram Highway provides the shortest link for export of goods from western China and the ports of Gwadar and Karachi provide the shortest route for import of gas and oil to China.He said that this would help in increasing the volume of bilateral trade between the two countries particularly following the sighing of the early harvest programme (EHP) effective from January last.

The prime minister said as a result of the macro-economic stability, Pakistan had become an attractive destination for the private and public sector companies of China.

He said it was heartening to note that a large number of Chinese companies had started joint ventures with Pakistani companies for domestic consumption and export.