LAHORE: The Pakistan Embassy in China and the Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT) on Thursday agreed to enhance collaboration for investment and trade with China through a targeted and viable action plan in consultation with chambers of commerce and industry across Punjab and holding of investment and trade conferences.

They also agreed to immediately hold virtual sessions with chambers of commerce and industry in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot and other prominent cities to improve trade with China.

“The mega virtual conferences will also be organized to outreach Chinese investors and catalyze industrialization and business relocation to Punjab,” Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Moinul Haq said at a high-level meeting held here to evaluate the existing investment and trade relations between Pakistan and China and to chalk out a practical way forward.

Both sides listed a number of areas that demand policy reforms and pro-active market outreach initiatives to have a catalytic impact on creating a suitable environment for Chinese businesses to expand and relocate into Punjab. The session was participated by senior management teams from both sides.

“The PBIT is also encouraging the setting up of new special economic zones (SEZs) in the private sector, while a strong effort is being made to bring facilities in the existing SEZs to a level which is necessary to accommodate Plug and Play demands of Chinese and other foreign investors,” said PBIT CEO Ahmer Mallick on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2022