Pakistani stalls showcase export-oriented products at China-Asean Expo

NANNING: Pakistani traders and businessmen showcased marble, wood handicrafts, carpets, leather garments and other products of the country at the 18th China-Asean Expo in Nanning, China on Friday.

Pakistan, with an exhibition area of 81 square metres, has set up a pavilion, as well as 24 booths to showcase its national image and display its products to further promote its exchange and cooperation with China and Asean countries.

Pakistan Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque visited different stalls and talked with the Pakistani businessmen and buyers.

Talking to APP, he said, the China-Asean Expo will serve as a platform to boost in-depth development of China-Pakistan cooperation and all-weather strategic partnership of cooperation.

He said like the previous year, Pakistan is participating in this year’s expo as a Special Partner Country this year too, adding that Pakistan attended the 17th CAEXPO with the same honorary title and set up its pavilion and booths to promote its products.

Pakistan, he said, is one of the countries along the Belt and Road and a geographical neighbour to the Asean countries. For many years, Pakistan has actively joined the CAEXPO, through which to enhance its exchange and cooperation with China and other countries along the Belt and Road.

He said the China-Asean countries have a population of over two billion people and a more than $18 trillion economy, which provides a good platform to expand its trade with these countries.

Ambassador Haque said that Pakistan’s textile sector has a complete supply chain system and the agriculture sector makes it a more competitive country in the world. The government is also focusing on the value addition of these sectors, which would help promote exports.

Pakistan is the fourth largest milk producing country and now we are paying attention to produce value-added dairy products such as cheese and butter, which were in high demand in China, as well as Asean countries.

He said Pakistan is one of the leading countries in manufacturing sports products, especially footballs are famous across the globe and other leather sports products, including boxing gloves.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Pakistan, he said, adding that by seizing the cooperative and business opportunities of the 18th CAEXPO, Pakistan is all set to introduce its products to promote business and trade.

Ambassador Haque said that after signing the Free Trade Agreement Phase-II, Pakistani traders could export over 1,000 different goods to China, adding: “We have seen big improvement in our exports to China after the signing of that agreement.”

The expo is hosted by the departments in charge of economic development and trade in China and 10 Asean countries in collaboration with the Asean Secretariat.

With a theme of “Sharing Opportunities Created by the New Land-Sea Corridor, Building the China-Asean Community with a Shared Future”, this year’s expo is being held in a mixed model of Physical + Online CAEXPO adopted for the second time.

An exhibition area of 12,000 square metres has been allocated to the exhibitors of the 10 Asean countries, and each Asean country has its own exhibition area, as usual.