Deputy Chief of Mission of the Chinese Embassy, Shi Yuanqiang Thursday said Agricultural cooperation between China and Pakistan is entering a new era in depth and scale under China, Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Thanks to top leadership and the shared vision under the CPEC for this growing partnership, he added.

“China and Pakistan attach great importance to agricultural cooperation and regard agriculture as one of the priority areas for their bilateral cooperation,” he said in his keynote address here at the China-Pakistan Agriculture Cooperation Forum. He said Pak-China agricultural cooperation has steadily deepened and achieved fruitful results over the years. Shi said the institutional framework for agricultural cooperation between China and Pakistan has been strengthened with the establishment of a joint agricultural working group mechanism.

In April, the first meeting of the joint working group was successfully held in Beijing, during which both sides formed the China-Pakistan Agricultural Technology Working Group, he added. Consensus was also reached on multiple areas of cooperation, further consolidating the foundation for future collaboration, he said. Shi said, agricultural trade between China and Pakistan has seen significant growth in the recent years.

Over the past three years, nine new protocols for Pakistan’s agricultural exports to China have been signed, supporting bilateral agricultural trade exceeding one billion U.S. dollars annually, with Pakistan consistently maintaining a trade surplus. Pakistan has exported heat-treated beef, fresh cherries, and frozen buffalo embryos to China, he added. In the first five months of this year, the agricultural trade volume between the two countries reached 390 million U.S. dollars, reflecting a 27% year-on-year increase, he said.

Notably, sesame exports surpassed 15 million U.S. dollars, marking a 331% increase, making sesame the largest single agricultural product exported from Pakistan to China, he added. He said the industrial cooperation in agriculture between China and Pakistan has become more robust. In April, 278 sets of agricultural machinery and equipment, provided by China and valued at 13 million RMB, were distributed to various provinces in Pakistan to support local agricultural modernization, he added.

“The implementation of these projects will help Pakistan consolidate its agricultural foundation in all aspects.” Shi said the exchange of agricultural talents between China and Pakistan has grown closer in recent years. Each year, the Chinese government supports a large number of Pakistani youth to study agriculture in China, contributing to the development of professional expertise in the field, he added. Chairman of China Chamber of Commerce in Pakistan Wang Huihua, in his welcome remarks said, “We are here to explore new opportunities and discuss further cooperation in the agriculture sector on the framework of the second phase of the CPEC. “

This event is not just aimed at strengthening economic and trade ties between our two countries, but also at advancing the vision of agricultural modernization and sustainable development in Pakistan, he added. He said, China owns several advantages in the cost viability, industrial terms and technology equipment, while Pakistan possesses other advantages like fertilized land and also the working-hard labour. Since entering the second phase of the CPEC, cooperation between the two countries has expanded significantly in the agriculture sector, Wang said.

This collaboration has covered key areas, including joint agricultural production, export-oriented research, development of agricultural technology, exploration of modernization methods, and research in the field of biotechnology, he added. “Actually there are too many successful stories about our cooperation.” Our joint efforts will promote Pakistan's agriculture and digitalization and build a sustainable partnership that contributes to Pakistan's food security and boosts farmers' income and regional prosperity, he said.

Mentioning a famous saying, Wang said, if you want to go faster you can walk alone but if you want to go far you have to walk together. “I think the only way we can create a bright future for agriculture development is through unity and collaboration.”

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China