Pakistan, China sign agreements spanning agriculture, education, media and trade

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday witnessed the signing and exchange of several agreements, memoranda of understanding (MoUs), protocols and cooperation documents in Beijing.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif landed in Hangzhou on Saturday, where he began his four-day official visit to China to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

After concluding his engagements in Hangzhou, Prime Minister Shehbaz arrived in Beijing where he held high-level meetings with Chinese Premier Li Qiang to discuss trade, investment, agriculture, science and technology, industrial cooperation and the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

According to the prime minister’s office, the agreements are “aimed at further deepening cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, science and technology, climate change, education, media and people-to-people exchanges.”

The signed documents covered a wide range of sectors. In agriculture, both sides signed a protocol on inspection, quarantine and sanitary requirements for dried fruits and nuts, a protocol on phytosanitary requirements for maize, an MoU on strengthening development cooperation in the agricultural sector and an exchange letter on animal vaccines.

In the areas of economic development and trade, the two parties signed an MoU on deepening exchanges and cooperation in economic development and an MoU on support for free trade and multilateralism.

Read also: Pakistani, Chinese firms sign over $7bn deals at Hangzhou conference

In terms of education and governance, both countries signed an Executive Program on Educational Cooperation and Exchanges, an MoU on Cooperation between the Foreign Service Academy and China Foreign Affairs University, an MoU between the Party School of the CPC Central Committee – also known as the China National Academy of Governance – and Pakistan’s National School of Public Policy, and an MoU on the Joint Resource Development Cooperation206 Program for Human Resource Development Cooperation206.

In science and technology, an MoU on conformity assessment was signed along with an MoU between Pakistan Science Foundation and China Association of Science and Technology. An MoU on cooperation in the field of environment and climate change was also among the documents exchanged.

In the media sector, Xinhua News Agency and Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation signed an MoU, as did China Media Group and Pakistan Television, with the latter focusing on cooperation on joint documentary production.

The two sides also formalized a sister-province relationship between Zhejiang Province and Punjab Province.

Prime Minister Shehbaz said the signing of these agreements “reflects the growing depth and diversity of Pakistan-China cooperation and opens new avenues for cooperation in key sectors that directly contribute to the welfare and prosperity of the people of both countries.”

On Sunday, Pakistani and Chinese companies signed MoUs worth more than $7 billion during a series of high-level engagements chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the Chinese city of Hangzhou.

A major deal signed during the conference on Sunday included a $1.12 billion deal between Haolu Engineering and Technology Company and Fauji Fertilizer for fertilizer production. Another MoU worth $100 million was signed between IBI Beijing United Information Technology and RIC for cooperation in agrochemicals, agricultural machinery and establishment of a regional office in Multan.

Officials said more than 200 MoUs worth over $20 billion had now been signed during five Pakistan-China business conferences held so far.