Largest-ever Canton Fair kicks off in Guangzhou, China
BEIJING, Apr 15 (APP): The China Import and Export Fair, commonly known as the Canton Fair, officially kicked off with an opening ceremony in Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong, and is expected to be the largest ever after fully resuming its offline exhibitions for the first time since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Canton Fair, China’s time-honoured biannual trade fair which started in 1957, has become a reliable barometer of China’s foreign trade.
With the exhibition scheduled to officially open on Saturday, traders said that they were excited to participate in the event on-site and expressed confidence in China’s foreign trade, given the strong competitive supply chain and products backed by advanced technologies, Global Time reported.
The historic scale and excitement among traders highlighted the resilience of China’s foreign trade despite external challenges and suggested stable exports and imports going forward that will greatly contribute to the world economy, which is facing growing downward pressure, participants and traders said.
Speaking at the opening ceremony via video link, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng said that this session of the Canton Fair is of great significance to deepening trade between China and other countries and promoting the recovery and development of the global economy and trade.
“We will take the initiative to expand imports, and continue to use China’s new economic development to provide new opportunities for the world economy,” he said.
Companies from 226 countries and regions have confirmed their plans to attend the Canton Fair on-site or online, and 47 global business organizations will attend as groups. Fortune 500 and Fortune 250 retailers confirmed that they will send buyers to the trade event.
A total of 53 leading multinational companies, including Walmart, Auchan, Carrefour and Metro, will also be taking part, according to the organizer.
The scale of exhibitions for imports at the Canton Fair has also expanded this year, covering 30,000 square meters, up 50 per cent from 2019.
A large number of participants are from countries such as the US, Japan, South Korea, Germany, France, the UK and India.
There will be 508 companies from 40 countries and regions participating in the import exhibition, 73 per cent of which are from countries and regions involved in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Finance Minister holds virtual meeting with President AIIB
ISLAMABAD, Apr 15 (APP): Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Saturday held a virtual meeting with Jin Liqun, President Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB).
The meeting was part of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank Spring meetings 2023, a press release issued by the Ministry of Finance said.
Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Dr. Aisha Ghous Pasha, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Finance Tariq Bajwa, SAPM on Revenue Tariq Mehmood Pasha, Special Secretary Finance attended the meeting virtually from Islamabad.
Whereas Ambassador of Pakistan to the USA Masood Ahmad Khan, Governor State Bank of Pakistan Jamil Ahmad, Secretary Finance and Secretary Economic Affairs Division attended the meeting in person in Washington.
The Finance Minister shared the current economic outlook of the country and apprised him of the economic policies and reforms of the government for sustainable economic development. The Finance Minister thanked the President AIIB for his generous support in rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in the flood-affected areas in Pakistan.
The President AIIB lauded the relationship between Pakistan and the AIIB and appreciated the economic policies and reforms of the present government for social uplift of the masses. He highlighted the role of AIIB in infrastructure development projects and investment and extended AIIB’s complete support and cooperation to Pakistan.
The Finance Minister thanked the President AIIB for his continuous support to Pakistan for the sustainable economic development of the country.
Supremacy of parliament to be ensured; Imran project badly failed: Muqam
SWAT, Apr 15 (APP): Adviser to the Prime Minister for Political and Public Affairs, National Heritage and Culture, Engr Amir Muqam here on Saturday said that Parliament was the supreme institution and custodian of the rights of the people of Pakistan and its supremacy would be ensured at all costs for the progress and prosperity of the nation.
Addressing a function here at Barikot, Engr Amir Muqam said that all state institutions including parliament, executive and judiciary derive powers from the Constitution of 1973 and the country could only achieve heights of success if it worked under its constitutional domain.
He said that the supremacy of the Parliament and the Constitution would be ensured and the rights of the people would be protected.
Engr Amir Muqam said that the devolopment process in KP and Punjab provinces was halted during the government of Imran Khan and the people of KP were deprived of progress for 10 long years.
He said Imran Khan’s lies based politics, egoism and stubbornness has been badly exposed before the nation and PTI would face people wrath in general election due to its poor performance in centre, Punjab and Khyber Pakthunkhwa provinces.
The Prime Minister’s Adviser said that Imran Niazi had been fielded/promoted in last election in a bid to politically and economically destabilize Pakistan and stopped the development process of PML-N.
He said the PTI government has installed its own signboards on the PMLN’s gas, electricity, roads, communication and NADRA projects in Swat.
He said if Imran Niazi’s government continued for few more weeks, the country would have faced bankruptcy with Sri Lanka like economic situation. CPEC was halted and the country’s economy were ruined during Imran Govt, he said.
He said a three times elected Prime Minister was disqualified on the ground of not taking salary from his son in the so called Panama case and from that day Pakistan has been started moving downwards.
Due to the wrong economic and financial policies of Imran govt, he said the value of Dollar, price hike and inflation were increased manifolds.
The Prime Minister’s Adviser said that conspiracies were again started against PML-N after the finance team of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has reached close to sign an important agreement with IMF.
He highly appreciated the support of UAE, China and Saudi Arabia for their extended help and assistance to Pakistan.
Amir Muqam said those elements who made conspiracies against Nawaz Sharif government have disappeared by themselves as they could not face the public due to their negative role.
During Nawaz Sharif government, he said that IMF Program had been sucessfully completed and the PML-N would also complete this program after winning the election.
He said that PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif would again come to his country and take the country out of the prevailing difficult challenges.
He praised the recent statement of Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir and the participation of Justice Qazi Faez Esa in the Golden Jubilee celebrations of 1973 constitution.
Amir Muqam said the previous PML-N government has completed record development projects in Swat including a grid station at Barikot and Nawaz Sharif Kidney Hospital at Minglawar to facilitate the people of the district.
He said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were deceived in the name of change by PTI and was now eying on PML-N for resolution of their problems.
Amir Muqam said the PML-N after winning the upcoming elections would remove the 10 years deprivation of people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Army assures to pursue NSC goals to turn tide against terrorism
RAWALPINDI, Apr 15 (APP): The 257th Corps Commanders’ Conference held here at GHQ, chaired by Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Syed Asim Munir, on Saturday expressed its assurance to pursue the goals set by the National Security Committee (NSC) to turn the tide against terrorism through the coordinated application of all elements of national power.
According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) news release, the forum reviewed domestic and regional environment, including external and internal security challenges confronted by Pakistan.
The forum affirmed that military leadership is cognizant of the full spectrum of the challenges and it resolves to shoulder its constitutionally mandated responsibilities with support of the resilient people of Pakistan.
The forum reiterated the commitment of the armed forces to fully support national responses against internal and external threats.
It highlighted that while security forces are undertaking intelligence based operations in areas along the western border, there was a need to adopt a whole of the nation and whole of the government approach to eradicate the menace of terrorism on long term basis.
This focused Counter Terrorism campaign against terrorists as approved by the Government, through whole of the system approach will lead towards eradicating permissive factors of terrorism, extremism and instability in the country.
FM reiterates Pakistan’s commitment to stable, peaceful Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD, Apr 15 (APP): Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan.
The foreign minister held a telephonic conversation with Acting Afghan Minister for Foreign Affairs, Amir Khan Muttaqi.
They discussed a range of issues of mutual concern, Foreign Office Spokesperson posted on her Twitter handle.
Women are shopping for upcoming Eid ul Fitr in a boutique
