Pakistan stands to gain from China’s agricultural progress: PM Shehbaz Sharif

LAHORE (RNN TV) — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that China’s collaboration with Pakistan in the agriculture sector would help farmers boost their productivity.

The prime minister was addressing a ceremony marking the launch of the first phase of the Agricultural Scholarship Programme, under which a group of 300 students will travel to China for higher education.

“It’s a significant day for Pakistan’s agriculture sector, as these graduates are heading to China for advanced studies. We are thankful to the Chinese government for awarding scholarships to Pakistani students,” he said.

He added that Pakistan would benefit from China’s progress in agriculture and move closer to achieving food self-sufficiency.

Prime Minister Shehbaz stated that the Pakistani students would act as a bridge between Beijing and Islamabad. “These students will play a key role in developing Pakistan’s agriculture sector,” he noted.

The scholarship recipients were selected on merit and hail from all four provinces, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. He mentioned that Balochistan’s quota had been increased by 10 percent.

He expressed hope that the students would help modernize Pakistan’s agriculture sector by applying the latest techniques. “There is tremendous potential for small and medium enterprises related to agriculture in rural areas. We must emphasize value addition in agricultural products,” he said.

The prime minister also stressed the need for all sectors to work together for national development.

Prime Minister Shehbaz thanked Beijing for its support in securing the IMF programme. “China, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are Pakistan’s closest allies,” he added.

RANA TANVIR

Federal Minister for Food Security Rana Tanvir Hussain said that agriculture remains a top priority for the government. He highlighted that China has made remarkable advancements in agriculture through technology and research.

He said China’s agricultural success serves as a global example, and the Pakistani students would help local farmers adopt modern techniques to increase crop yields.

CHINESE AMBASSADOR

On the occasion, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong remarked that bilateral relations between the two countries are growing stronger. He noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had paid a successful visit to China shortly after taking office, where he met President Xi Jinping and reached a consensus on various areas of cooperation.

He highlighted that President Xi Jinping attaches great importance to relations with neighboring countries. In 2013, President Xi introduced the core principles of China’s foreign policy toward its neighbors, aimed at fostering friendly and cooperative ties.

Ambassador Jiang reaffirmed China’s commitment to supporting Pakistan in maintaining its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He said China seeks to work with neighboring countries to build a better future. “The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is one of the flagship projects of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Under CPEC, $25.4 billion in direct investment has already been made, and it continues to create employment opportunities,” he added.