Hussain Haider, Pakistan’s Consul General in Shanghai, stated that the country’s exports to China have seen a considerable increase in recent years, with the export of Pakistan rice to China exceeding previous records during the first nine months of the current fiscal year.
Haider, who was in Shanghai to represent Pakistan at the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Belt and Road Initiative Agriculture Cooperation and Exchange Conference, this platform, would allow them to further develop their relationship in crucial agricultural sectors, and as a result, will aid in modernizing Pakistan’s agriculture sector, alleviating poverty, and enhancing the lives of the general public.
China and Pakistan are all-weather friends, according to Ye Junping, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Agriculture and Rural Affairs Department. He also stated that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has strengthened the people-to-people interaction between the two countries.
According to the China Economic Net (CEN), the Secretary and members of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research for Agricultural Cooperation and Exchange took part in the online discussion from Pakistan and expressed a willingness to expand additional cooperation in the agricultural sector.
A large portion of Pakistan’s population is employed in the agriculture sector, according to Liu Xiangdong, deputy director of the Agriculture Trade Promotion Center under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China. He believes that Chinese technology companies can assist Pakistani farmers in increasing their yields through the use of smart technologies and new techniques.
He spoke on behalf of the secretary of the Ministry of National Food Security, Dr. Javed Humayun, who stated that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a landmark achievement of the two countries that have opened up new avenues and opportunities for cooperation between the two countries.
This forum in August reaffirms our commitment to agricultural cooperation, which was laid by the two countries during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to China in November 2018 by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that provided an opportunity for institutional cooperation between [the] Ministry of National Food Security and Research of Pakistan and [the] Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China,” he continued.
Pakistan has initiated a number of efforts to improve the productivity of crops and animals, as well as to improve the livelihoods of the country’s citizens, according to him.
These initiatives are the first of their kind, and they represent an excellent model of collaboration between the federal and provincial governments, with the potential to produce the desired outcomes.
According to the World Bank, “[Pakistan’s] economy is mostly based on agriculture, which employs more than 39 percent of the country’s labor force.” Apart from its role as a major employer of labor, this sector is also important to our economy as a source of raw materials for our industries, which include the textile and leather sectors,” Javed explained.
“I believe that agriculture would be one of the most important sectors of collaboration under the CPEC,” says Wang. The government of Pakistan is offering incentives to encourage the development of joint ventures, and Chinese businessmen, working with our private sector, can explore ways to benefit from these advantages,” he said.
Agricultural Research Council member Ghulam Sadiq expressed his confidence in the creation of new jobs by the organization’s future efforts, saying, “I am confident that our future endeavors will facilitate the creation of new jobs, and that more of our youth will be engaged in joint ventures between Chinese and Pakistani business firms.”
Dr. Du Youkang, professor at Fudan University’s Pakistan Study Center, believes that China should increase its investment in Pakistan, particularly in the agricultural sector.
In addition, he stated that “we want to establish some cooperation centers in Pakistani colleges, and we want to do this through technology, education, and so we may start with agricultural economic cooperation.”
This year, Pakistan and China are commemorating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, and this conference was held as part of the celebrations.