Monday, May 19, 2008, Jamadi-ul-Awwal 12, 1429    

Chinese tycoons urged to relocate industries

Lahore—Globalisation has provided Chinese investors with a golden opportunity to relocate their large-scale industries to Pakistan to reap the benefits of its most conducive business policies as compared to other regional countries. This was the gist of speeches made by Provincial Food Minister Malik Nadeem Kamran and Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Mohammad Ali Mian to a 14-member Chinese delegation, led by Shenzen Chamber of International Commerce President He Xuewen. The Chinese team comprised representatives of real estate developers, construction companies, computer hardware trading, investment consultants as well as high-ranking government officers.

In his speech, Shenzen Chamber President He Xuewen said the delegation was visiting Pakistan for having first-hand knowledge about available business opportunities and hoped in the coming days the trade between Pakistan and China would touch new heights. He said Shenzen being the fourth best-performing economy with a 15 per cent annual growth rate had a huge business potential for Pakistani entrepreneurs, adding Shenzen had 300,000 business entities that were busy in all types of businesses and “this makes a very strong point for the LCCI to arrange a visit to Shenzen.” The provincial minister, who was representing both Pakistan Muslim League (N) President Shahbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Dost Mohammad Khosa, said the government would extend maximum facilitation to Chinese investors for setting up industries in Punjab.

He said the Punjab government was ready to develop a consultancy exchange programme with Shenzen for the development of industrial infrastructure, hi-tech agricultural parks, logistics and transport, branding strategies and promotion of IT industry. LCCI President Mohammad Ali Mian informed the delegation that the February 18 elections and the consequent formation of democratic governments at the federal and provincial levels had sent strong positive signals to the outer world and a large number of foreign investors “are now planning to shift their businesses to Pakistan.” He said Pakistan is strategically located providing the shortest route for China to the Middle East, Africa and Europe. —APP