GUANGZHOU, APR 1 /DNA/ – Ambassador Khalil Hashmi paid an official visit to Shenzhen and Guangzhou in the Guangdong province of China on 23-29 March 2024. This was Ambassador’s inaugural visit to the province since assuming office.

Ambassador’s visit was scheduled to overlap with the closing ceremony of the year-long Gandhara Art Exhibition, jointly organized by Pakistan and China.  During the visit, Ambassador had diverse engagements meant to enhance relations with the two major cities on a political level, as well as cultural, academic and most importantly trade and investment ties.

On the political level, Ambassador was received by Mr. Meng Fanli, Communist Party’s top leader in Shenzhen and by Mr.Sun Zhiyang, Mayor of Guangzhou city. In both these meetings, Ambassador paid tribute to the cities’ stellar economic performance in the past four decades and briefed them about the investment landscape of Pakistan and opportunities for investors from Guangdong to invest in diverse sectors. Both the Chinese leaders noted with satisfaction the growing ties between Pakistan and the respective cities, including through the presence of increasing number of Pakistani students, and expressed the desire to further enhance economic ties. The meetings saw a consensusto enhance cooperation in priority sectors through establishment of institutional mechanisms.

On the cultural front, Ambassador Hashmi attended the closing ceremony of Gandhara Art Exhibition, where he delivered remarks highlighting the importance of such initiatives in longstanding ties between Pakistan and China. On the sidelines, he also met Mr. Wang Xudong, Director of Palace Museum, where both sides positively noted the successful culmination of the event, and discussed ways to further enhance cultural cooperation.

On the economic side, Ambassador Hashmi interacted with a number of prominent Chinese enterprises, both state-owned and private, including Amer International, Huawei, Shum Yip Group, BYD, BGI Economics, Mindray, Guangzhou Metro (the parent enterprise of Lahore Orange Line) and a number of other companies. Leadership of all these enterprises briefed the Ambassador about their engagement with Pakistan and their future plans. Ambassador Hashmi briefed the interlocutors about the investment policies of Pakistan and assured them of his full support. He also addressed a forum of technological enterprises based in Shenzhen.

For engaging with academia, Ambassador paid a visit to Shenzhen University and had a meeting with the President. The two sides discussed various areas of collaboration, including the possibility of setting up a Pakistan Research and Study Centre at the university. He also interacted with Pakistani students enrolled at Shenzhen University.Additionally, he visited Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in Guangzhou, where he interacted with the students learning Urdu. The students also displayed their affection towards Pakistan through a number of cultural performances, including a rendition of ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’.

Ambassador also had a number of community interactions during his visit, where he lauded the important role played by Pakistani Diaspora and assured them of full facilitation by the Embassy in Beijing and Consulate-General in Guangzhou.

Shenzhen city is known for being at the center of China’s reform and opening up four decades ago. The city has now established itself as a hub of innovation, entrepreneurship and emerging technologies in diverse sectors. Guangzhou, another major city in southern China, is renowned for its bustling trade and commerce, exemplified by the world-famous Canton Fair. The city is also celebrated for its pivotal role in China’s industrial and economic landscape as a manufacturing hub in the Pearl River Delta region.