The Zibo city of China is ready to share expertise for setting up solar energy projects in Hyderabad, according to Dr Wang Jianzhong, deputy director of the Zibo Municipal Foreign Affairs Office.
Speaking at a reception given in his honour by the Hyderabad Chambers of Commerce and Industry (HCCI), he said Zibo was one of the most important industrial cities of China.
He said that in the trade with Pakistan, Zibo mainly imported cotton and exported medicines, industrial equipment and other goods.
Dr Wang said that the purpose of his visit to Hyderabad was to promote programmes of exchange of students and scholars and his city’s relations with Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Kotri and Mirpurkhas.
He said educational, cultural and energy projects would be taken up for the benefit of the communities of those cities.
Dr Wang said Zibo and Hyderabad could start business cooperation. He said sufficient sunlight in Hyderabad could be used to develop solar projects, adding that Zibo City was providing solar energy units to almost all the homes there.
He expressed the hope that the HCCI would play an active role in promoting trade between the two cities.
Acting president of the HCCI Turab Ali Khoja said Dr Wang’s visit to the chamber had provided an opportunity for interaction to boost up trade between the two friendly countries.
He said businessmen of Hyderabad felt that there was immense demand for Pakistani goods in Chinese market. The visit would be helpful for the business and industrial communities of Hyderabad to export their goods to Chinese markets.
Mr Khoja pointed out that at present Hyderabad was exporting goods worth more than $60 million to various countries and said that there were vast opportunities to increase the volume of trade between the two friendly countries.
He said Hyderabad had a large number of agro-based and textile industries, garment manufacturing units and automobile manufacturing and assembling plants which were using Chinese technology.
He said power sector and coal mining, especially Thar coal, provided a big opportunity to investors.
University of Sindh Vice-Chancellor Dr Nazir A. Mughal said the university was ready to serve industry.
He said the HCCI could tell them what kind of courses should be introduced for the benefit of industries through their research activities.
