Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday stressed the need for deeper cooperation between Pakistan and China in the agriculture sector. He said that there was a need to revamp and modernize the agriculture sector in Pakistan with the help of Chinese cooperation to unleash a green revolution in the country.
The foreign minister made the remarks while meeting the Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing in Islamabad. The Agriculture Commissioner of the Chinese Embassy, Gu Wenliang, also accompanied the Ambassador. During the meeting, FM Qureshi observed how China had introduced wide-ranging reforms in agriculture to boost the economy.
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“It is imperative that Pakistan benefits from China’s experiences. Deeper agriculture cooperation between China and Pakistan will lead to job creation, enhanced agricultural productivity, poverty alleviation, and will stimulate economic recovery in Pakistan in the aftermath of COVID-19,” the foreign minister said.
‘Beijing, Islamabad relationship to grow and solidify’
In his comments on the matter, Ambassador Ying thanked FM Qureshi for holding a meeting on the subject and said that he hoped that with the personal attention of leaders of both countries on the subject, the relationship between Beijing and Islamabad would grow and solidify, leading to substantial economic benefits for Pakistan.
FM @SMQureshiPTI has emphasized the need for deeper cooperation between Pakistan and China in agriculture sector@TeamSMQ @MoIB_Official @CathayPak @ForeignOfficePk https://t.co/aMMJ3HKKoF
— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) September 4, 2020
“Agriculture is the mainstay of Pakistan’s economy and employs a large part of Pakistan’s productive labor force. There is a greater need to revamp and modernize the agriculture sector with China’s co-operation and unleash the Second Green Revolution in Pakistan,” the foreign minister said, welcoming the establishment of a Joint Working Group on Agriculture Cooperation under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Recognizing the help that China had provided to Pakistan to fight the locust plague, Qureshi said that the provision of pesticides, machinery, and drones provided by Beijing to fight locusts had proved very effective. FM Qureshi also asked the Chinese to send a technical team to Pakistan to visit facilities and expedite exports of meat to China.
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Responding to the foreign minister, Ambassador Jing underlined that China would like to collaborate with Pakistan in setting up Agriculture Technology Centers, Joint Research Centre for Plant Pest and Disease Control, and FMD Zones in Pakistan. He added that under the Second Phase of FTA, China would also welcome the import of agriculture products from Pakistan.