INVESTMENT
There is a good prospect of the future development of
investments by the two countries on each other's side, Chinese officials said.
The total contracted volume of investments that China
made in Pakistan has reached 110 million dollars, up to the end of September
2006. During the same period, Pakistan has made an actual total investment of
over 20 million dollars.
In one of his articles, Rahman held that the private
sector engagement would be the main engine for growth in bilateral economic
relations in the future. "Compared to other countries, investment in Pakistan
from the Chinese private sector is still very low," he said.
"We'd like to see more investments from the Chinese
private sector in Pakistan," he said. "We're looking for Chinese investments
(entering) into exportable items."
The two countries can enter into joint ventures in
Pakistan, which will export the products to the nearby regions of West Asia,
Central Asia, and South Asia, the analyst said.
The Pakistani government is striving to improve the
investment environment, attract foreign money and increase its production
capability and variety of exportable items, which are now mostly limited to raw
materials, like cotton, rice, leather and sports goods, a fact worrying many
officials and scholars.
In regard to the security concern that might create
setbacks for potential investors, Rahman said that Pakistan "is taking very
special measures, trying to root out the extremism and terrorism from the
country."
"Chinese investors can also look into the areas,
which are economically developed, and relatively safer areas," he said. "Like
the industrial zone in east province Punjab, and cities like Sialkot,
Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Lahore, Multan, etc."
Rahman told Xinhua that the Pakistani government has
allocated a special industrial zone for Chinese investors, especially in the
Gwadar deep seaport on the Arabian Sea.
The government is also creating a special textile zone in Faisalabad and industrial areas in other parts of the country, where they "prefer the Chinese investors should come," he added.
