ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi has said Pakistan’s stable macro-economic policies and ease of doing business offered an attractive market to China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for trade cooperation in diverse areas.
While addressing the 17th China-ASEAN Expo held in China’s Nanning city via a virtual link, Alvi suggested the establishment of a trade triangle between Pakistan, China and the ASEAN to make the best use of the intra-regional business opportunities.
The president said that Pakistan’s economy has strengthened and its online businesses have grown due to the implementation of far-reaching economic reforms, despite the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
He encouraged the ASEAN countries and Chinese businesses to invest in special economic zones (SEZs) and said that there is high potential in Pakistan’s textiles, food products including meat and vegetables, surgical goods, minerals and information technology.
President Dr. Arif Alvi on Friday proposed establishing a ‘trade triangle’ among Pakistan, China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to maximize the quantum of intra-regional business opportunities.https://t.co/1ewi0643ij
— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) November 27, 2020
Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had said Pakistan would continue to deepen and further strengthen political, economic and cultural ties with ASEAN and its member states in line with its ‘Vision East Asia’ policy.
In his message on the 53rd ASEAN Day, the foreign minister had said, “Pakistan enjoys close, friendly relationship with all ASEAN members and its momentous and deep-rooted relations pre-date the modem era, harkening back to abiding linkages forged during the time of the Gandhara Civilization.”