LAHORE: Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing on Thursday announced opening an embassy branch in Lahore for the issuance of Chinese visa from next month.

The Chinese ambassador called on Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar in meetings at their respective offices and discussed promotion of Pak-China relations, CPEC-related projects and expansion of bilateral cooperation in different sectors.

At the meeting at Governors House, the governor said Pakistan would take all possible steps to get advantage of the Chinese economic model that had made unprecedented progress by lifting more than 700 million people out of the poverty in the past three decades.

“Those who conspire against the friendship of Pakistan and China are our enemies,” he said.

The governor said Pakistan was striving for boosting confidence of the Chinese investors so that they could invest here. Apart from that, Pakistan was also willing to enhance prospects of CPEC to alleviate poverty, educate the masses and increase energy production. He said investors were coming from around the world to invest in different sectors, which shows Pakistan has attained political stability.

“We are also striving for ending corruption and bring about transparency in the system as the Chinese have done successfully,” he added.

The Chinese ambassador said there existed a well-structured harmony between the relations of Pakistan and China. In the days to come, he said, China would be interested in more investments acknowledging that Pakistan was taking all possible steps to attract Chinese investment.

At the CM-ambassador meeting at the Chief Minister Secretariat, Usman Buzdar said China is a trustworthy friend of Pakistan and its cooperation is appreciable for making “Naya Pakistan”. He said the bilateral economic relations were touching new heights. He said the CPEC-related projects were very important in the journey of durable development in the country.

Mr Buzdar said the Punjab government was setting up new economic zones where Chinese investors would be given facilities and incentives. He said the durable development of the social sector was a priority of the government.

He said the Punjab government was interested in utilising the latest Chinese technology in agriculture, tourism and technical and vocational training sectors.

The chief minister said the Punjab government was establishing technical universities in D.G. Khan and Mandi Bahauddin. He said an industrial park was being set up in southern Punjab for the promotion of agro-based industries. The Chinese investors should take benefit of investment opportunities in special economic zones.

Ambassador Jing said an embassy’s branch would be opened in Lahore for the issuance of Chinese visa. He said Pakistani citizens would be facilitated in the issuance of Chinese visa as the branch would be made functional next month.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2019