MyAdhan Blog

Link: Chinese focus on Pakistani market

China considers Pakistani market a source of great opportunities and its key areas of focus and exploration in Pakistan include oil exploration, trade and investment in refining and services sector, according to official sources here. China is a global driver of economic growth and has undergone massive growth in productivity.

Its increasing linkages with international economy have also led to important transfer of technology, especially in developing countries such as Pakistan and other countries in South Asia. Leading Chinese companies operating in Pakistan include white goods maker Haier, Shenzhen based telecommunications firm ZTE, Shanghai based electronic giant SVA, and a number of motorcycle companies from Chongqing. The demand for Haier’s quality electrical appliances exists all over the world. According to experts, Haier is no longer a simple label; its service and management will lead the modern Chinese economy to create more well-known brands.

Bilateral trade between China and Pakistan was more than $7 billion in 2007, and the two sides have set a target of $15 billion annually by 2011, according to Xinhua news agency. China is the second largest economy in the world with a GDP of over $6.9 trillion (2007), measured on purchasing power parity (PPP) basis. China would grow by more than 11 percent, and India at around nine percent this year, with almost equal rates in 2008, according to Rodrigo Rato, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). During his recent visit to China, Pakistan’s President met chiefs of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), China Mobile, Huawei Technology and ZTE Electronics. These leaders vowed to enhance bilateral economic co-operation between industrial and business communities. The two countries will focus on enhancing ‘connectivity’ by developing new communication links including fibre optic links, according to Pakistan-China recent joint statement.

China will launch a telecommunication satellite, ‘PakSat-1R’ for Pakistan in 2011, according to Xinhua report. Pakistan will use this satellite for domestic telecommunication and broadcast services. The contract for this initiative was sealed on October 15, 2008 in the presence of both Presidents from China and Pakistan. CNPC is already carrying out large-scale construction in Pakistan, with over 300 employees working in Pakistan, said the Director General of CNPC, Zhang Xin. Telecommunication is a booming sector in Pakistan, and has immense support from China’s leading telecommunication companies to enhance and improve service in the country. China Mobile has invested $800 million in its first international venture Zong, and plans to expand its project further to expand Zong network in Pakistan.

Huawel Technology is the Number One telecom solution provider and is the only vendor serving all the mainstream telecom operators in Pakistan including PTCL, Ufone, Mobilink, Telenor, Warid, Zong, etc. Also, San Ya Fang has donated equipment valued at one million dollars for establishment of e-government project initiative taken by Pakistan Government. A growing priority for Chinese leaders is scientific and technological modernisation. China’s key areas of interest include microelectronics, telecommunications, computers, automated manufacturing, and energy.