KARACHI, May 19: While proposing increase in exchange of trade delegations, the visiting Chinese delegation has showed interest in forming joint trade and investment companies to further strengthen trade ties.

“People of China and Pakistan are too close to each other and similar in so many ways, coupled with time tested friendship and brotherhood but the trade ties hardly match to this situation,” said leader of the delegation Zhao Qingmao, Economic and Commercial Counsellor, Embassy of China, here on Friday during a visit to the Export Promotion Bureau.

Mr Zhao told EPB vice-chairman Zafar Mahmood and director Nusrat Jamshaid that the trade between China and Pakistan was not reflective of good political, historical and cultural ties that the people of two countries were enjoying.

“Bilateral trade should be increased manifold for which there should be frequent exchange of delegations, participation of importers and exporters in exhibitions and fairs organised in each other countries”, he suggested.

He said he would advance similar suggestion to the Chinese counterpart of the EPB for making efforts to increase the number of visits of trade delegations to Pakistan and the EPB should also make an effort to increase the number of trade delegations visiting China.

He said he had only two points in his mind for bringing the two countries closer to each other by joining hands in import and export business and make some joint companies to make investment in China and Pakistan. “We had done such experiments successfully with couple of other countries”, he added.

He said he was impressed by the progress and development of Karachi where he had come after 12 years and said, like Pakistan, China was also developing on higher pace and registering impressive growth rate.

He also appreciated the display centre of the EPB and took keen interest in hand-knotted carpets and garments besides other peculiar items like camel skin lampshade etc.

Mr Zhao said he expected extra ordinary heavy trade activity between Pakistan and China which was just across the mountain and shares so many aspects of social, religious and cultural values.

He also informed that he had visited the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday and had open discussions with the businessmen and office- bearers of the KCCI.

The Chinese delegation, currently on a seven-day visit to Pakistan, had already visited Islamabad and Lahore before coming to Karachi.

The EPB vice-chairman welcoming the delegation said there existed great potential of trade and investment between the two countries and elaborated the political and social ties between the people and the governments of the two countries.—APP