Pakistan, China to intensify cooperation in telecom, water

Thursday, 18 June 2009 11:18

BEIJING: Pakistan and China will intensify their cooperation in the fields of telecommunications, sugarcane production, housing and management of water resources.

Discussions took place with the Chinese government and top Chinese corporations in these vital areas, during Secretary General to the President, Salman Faruqui’s, visit to China.

The secretary general is leading a high level delegation, which includes Ambassador-at-Large/Federal Minister, Khalil Ahmed, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Water Resources, Kamal Majidulla, Secretary Economic Affairs Division, Farrakh Qayyum, and Chairman Water and Power Development Authority, Shakil Durrani.

Faruqui started his visit in Shenzhen, China’s busting industrial town opposite Hong Kong, and visited China’s telecom giants ‘Huawei and ZTE’ which have their representative offices in Pakistan.

The secretary general invited the leadership of the two Chinese telecom conglomerates to establish manufacturing facilities and to open a telecommunications university in Pakistan in partnership with the Government of Pakistan. Corporate leaders of the two companies said that they would initiate work on these projects.

In Shenzhen, Faruqui witnessed the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Pakistan Agricultural Research Council and Guangzhou Sugarcane Research Institute. From Pakistan, the agreement was signed by Kamal Majidulla.

The MoU facilitates the development of various kinds of sugarcane varieties in Pakistan through the use of germplasm technology. It would also help in producing sugarcane varieties that require less water irrigation and disease control, as well as being pest and drought resistant.

In Shanghai, Faruqui saw the city planning exhibition and explored the possibility of cooperation in building low cost houses and apartments in Pakistan.

WAPDA chairman held meetings with Zhejiang Zhengbang Hydro Electric Power Construction Corporation and China Electric Power Generation Group and invited them to invest in twelve small and medium sized hydropower dams in Pakistan. Both companies expressed keen interest in the projects.