Reception hosted for KP, Balochistan’s parties delegation in China

BEIJING, Dec 23 (APP)::Pakistan Ambassador to China, Masood Khalid hosted a reception for the delegation of different political parties from Khyber Pakhtunkhaw (KP) and Balochistan provinces, currently on a nine-day visit to China on the invitation of Communist Party of China (CPC), at the Embassy of Pakistan here on Saturday.
Welcoming the delegation, the ambassador highlighted the all-weather strategic partnership between Pakistan and China and said both the countries were cooperating with each others in different fields including economy, industry, commerce, defense, science and technology and security.
He shared the progress of different energy and infrastructures projects as well as the Gwadar Port being completed under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) frame work which was signed between the two countries in 2013.
Now, both the sides were discussing to start work on establishment of industrial zones and parks in different areas of Pakistan, he added.
Ambassador Khalid said the Chinese investment had registered significant increase during the last one year and expressed the confidence it would increase manifold in the coming years.
He said, under an agreement between Pakistan and China, the main railways line would be upgraded from Peshawar to Karachi at a cost of US$ 8 billion, adding, the existing signaling system would be replaced and speed of the trains would be enhanced.
He informed that around 22,000 Pakistani students were presently studying medicines and natural sciences in China. Under language and culture programmes, different provinces had sent students on the scholarship to learn Chinese language. Urdu was also being taught in eight Chinese Universities.
He opined that secret of China’s success, being second largest economy of the world, had been due to the hard work and commitment of the Chinese people and the better planning, monitoring and implementation of the Chinese government.
He also briefed the delegation about the 19th Congress of CPC held in Beijing in October and election of the new leadership including President Xi Jinping as the Secretary General of the Party.
The delegation comprising parliamentarians and party members, led by former federal minister, Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind, would also visit Xian before leaving for home.

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