BEIJING, Dec 31 : Pakistan Ambassador to China Moin-ul-Haque has said that a website in Chinese language on tourism would soon be launched to attract a large number of tourists to beautiful places in Pakistan after Covid-19 pandemic.
“Since here, I’ve formed a task force team at my embassy to work on promotion of tourism. We’re going to launch very soon a website in Chinese language on tourism, we’re going to publish material on tourism in Chinese language. I hope as soon as the pandemic is over, we can attract a large number of tourists to beautiful Pakistan,” he told CGTN.
Updating on the current status of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, he said, “The first part, or the early harvest part what we say, focuses on two main areas. One was infrastructure development in the country, building roads, highways. Second, it was energy. Pakistan over the few years has been going through a crisis we had acute shortage of energy in the country.”
He said, through CPEC, the energy projects have helped Pakistan to overcome the electricity shortage, which is important for industry and households and added, “Today Pakistan has overcome the challenge, time is coming that we’re going to have surplus energy, so it’s a very transformational project for Pakistan.”
About bilateral trade recovering from the pandemic, he said, “The figures we have so far this year is very positive, especially Pakistani export. It has increased this year substantially. It was a very good sign. One reason is that early this year, the two countries launched the upgraded FTA, Free Trade Agreement, under which almost 1,000 products now enjoy zero tariffs.”
Ambassador Haque said that Pakistan and China are iron brothers and also all-weather strategic partners and the relationship is higher than the mountains, deeper than the oceans, and sweeter than honey.
“These are those descriptions we’ll not find anywhere in the world. That shows this relationship is based on mutual trust. It has been a relationship which has been endured and sustained by successive generation of leadership governments and the people. It has been constant, as President Xi said, this is the one and only unique relationship,” he added.
At the Pakistani Embassy in Beijing, ambassador Moin-ul-Haque showed the interviewer the corridor of friendship, which features historic photos of interactions and meetings between Chinese and Pakistani leaders.
The embassy also houses an international school, a reflection of early cultural exchange between the two countries.
He said that the school was built in 1969 at the special request of Premier Zhou Enlai. At that time it was the first international school in China. Now this has grown over the years, and became a college. “We have more than 500 students. Students from more than 50 countries are studying here.”
Ambassador Haque, who was personally involved a chief of protocol during historic signing of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor protocol, shared, “That was the highlight of my two-year assignment as chief of the protocol, the most important protocol that I organized.”
Not only because it was President Xi’s first visit, but also it was important because we launched the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and a large number of agreements, MOUs were signed, mounting more than 40 billion dollars.It was historic and unprecedented. It’s been five years when this CPEC was launched. It has helped Pakistan transforming its landscape, infrastructure and it’s helping our social development, poverty alleviation, and improving the livelihood of our people. So I was happy to be part of that historic moment.”
About implementation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) protocol, he said that now he was here contributing to making it further and stronger.
Ambassador Haque accepted his present job in late July, as soon as he finished his assignment as Pakistani ambassador to France.
He said he was still exploring China, and how to help consolidate the two countries’ relationship, in a way he hopes future generations can continue.
