Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif declared in a recent meeting with Chinese investors that Pakistan needs China’s support in the form of investment trade and the transfer of knowledge instead of loans and aid.
In a meeting with Chinese investors, The premier explained that Pakistan is using scarce resources to finance expensive oil and gas imports, which need to be replaced with solar and wind power to facilitate its progressiveness. He added that the country wants to learn about agriculture and industrial uplift, and cost-cutting from China.
PM Sharif said that prior to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), some areas of Pakistan would suffer 20 hours of load shedding daily during the summer. Pakistan has overcome its problem of load shedding and has increased its production, exports, and employment opportunities with the help of power plants built under the CPEC, for which he thanked China.
The PM acknowledged the CPEC’s importance for Pakistan, which, he said, would be in a terrible situation if the President of China, Xi Jinping, and Pakistan’s former PM, Nawaz Sharif, had not signed the agreement for it.
He said that Beijing’s exponential growth was a model for Pakistan to follow and Pakistan looked forward to China’s support “in every walk of life”.
Dilating China’s economic growth, the premier recalled his visit to China, saying that it has progressed in its agriculture, industry, trade, and IT sectors, and has managed to lift millions of people out of poverty. He said that China’s growth has given Pakistan a great opportunity to emulate and replicate in order to progress to modernity, and added that Pakistan is determined to face all its challenges.
He also thanked the President, Xi Jinping, and Premier, Li Keqiang, for supporting Pakistan in its time of need.
PM Sharif has taken the notice of the Chinese companies that are being hindered in Pakistan, including the power plants under the CPEC, and has asked the concerned ministries to present a synopsis, a comprehensive brief, and a copy of presentations and talking points to him in this regard.
