Hangzhou: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has announced that Pakistan and China are embarking on a new phase of practical, people-centric, and development-oriented cooperation. This statement came during his meeting with Wang Hao, the Party Secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee in Hangzhou.
According to Radio Pakistan, the Prime Minister expressed admiration for the significant development achievements of Zhejiang Province, attributing this success to the visionary leadership of President Xi Jinping during his tenure as Party Secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee. He particularly highlighted the concept that 'lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,' which reflects the province's commitment to ecological conservation and green development.
Prime Minister Sharif emphasized the importance Pakistan places on strengthening ties with Zhejiang Province, especially in areas such as the digital economy, e-commerce, information technology, telecommunications, agriculture, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and skill development. He noted that provincial cooperation is a critical component of Pakistan-China relations and could significantly contribute to advancing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Phase-II through industrial cooperation, agricultural modernization, technology collaboration, and export-oriented development.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister also witnessed the signing of two significant cooperation documents. The first was a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing a sister-province relationship between Zhejiang Province and Punjab Province, aiming to foster cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, education, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
Additionally, a document of understanding was signed between Hangzhou Normal University and the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing to establish the China-Pakistan Joint Technology Research Centre at the university. This center aims to promote academic cooperation, applied research, technology exchange, and institutional linkages between Pakistan and China.