Lahore: Speaking during her meeting with Party Secretary He Zhongyou, and a Chinese delegation at the International Big Data Expo in Guiyang, Guizhou, Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif proposed holding a business and investment conference for technology transfer and the promotion of local manufacturing. She offered to establish joint working groups on digital cooperation, artificial intelligence, and smart agriculture; and also proposed cooperation in the field of diagnosis through artificial intelligence. She invited the Guizhou delegation to visit Lahore for the purpose; and wished China to continue success in carving a better future for the Chinese people; besides praying for further strengthening and consolidation of Pakistan-China friendship. She expressed that Punjab is eager to foreign investment; as it is ready for the development and partnership; and added that China is changing direction of the world through its digital revolution; as the digital technology being developed in Guizhou is worth emulating, She highlighted that they want to learn from China’s experiences and successes; as the beauty, development, and remarkable transformation of Guizhou are impressive.
Chief Minister Punjab said that like China, they are also striving to develop infrastructure and increase forests and greenery. She noted that Guizhou has become China’s digital hub through its technological advancement; and they want to learn and understand how millions of people have been lifted out of poverty through industry, digitalization, and rural development. She added that they want to transform the historic friendship between Pakistan and China into solid projects, investment, and tangible employment benefits; and underscored that national relationship between Pakistan and China can be elevated to the provincial and people-to-people level; so they request the Guizhou team to accompany them on their journey of development.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif sought China’s assistance for people living below poverty line; as they all are great admirers of China’s respected President Xi Jinping, whose vision, iron determination, and relentless pursuit of success are worth emulating. She said that she is an enthusiastic follower of President Xi Jinping’s philosophy of shared prosperity, shared human goals, security, stability, and sovereignty of all nations. She added that Punjab is the largest agricultural market, the economic hub, and food basket of the country. She believed that complete transformation, not merely development, is taking place in this Chinese province; and credit for turning the vision of development into reality goes to the great leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping. She acknowledged that Party Secretary He Zhongyou and his team are outstanding, knowledgeable, and well-read people; and their extensive experience and leadership roles in publicity, media regulation, cyberspace, administration, governance, Shanghai & central government organizations, and development of Guizhou are commendable.
Chief Minister Punjab said that they consider it a privilege to meet a knowledgeable and accomplished speaker like He Zhongyou; as Pakistan and China are partners in a historic, time-tested, and all-weather friendship. She noted that this year, Pakistan and China are proudly celebrating the 75th anniversary of their exemplary diplomatic relations; as friendship between Pakistan and China is not merely a relationship between the two governments or two countries, but is a relationship built on trust between people of these two countries and two nations. She added that the bond of friendship is based on trust, mutual respect, and affection, with mutual cooperation and support as its foundation. She expressed that they also share a personal and very strong bond regarding Pakistan-China friendship; as Pakistan-China friendship has been nurtured by successive generations of Pakistani leadership; as in particular, her father, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, has always attached the highest importance to Pakistan-China relations; and her uncle and the current Prime Minister, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, has worked continuously and tirelessly to strengthen Pakistan-China relations and economic partnership. She remarked that fortunately, she now has the honor of carrying forward Pakistan-China friendship.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif noted that her love and attachment to China are not merely between the two countries, two peoples, or two hearts; rather they are part of her blood. She said that as the first woman Chief Minister, she is responsible for a province of 13 million people; and underscored that China is a trusted friend and brother for them, and they want to take their historic relationship into a new era by building their relations with China on the foundations of investment, technology, industrial development, innovation, culture, and shared human objectives. She added that there is a very strong foundation for relations between Punjab and Guizhou; and noted that although the size of their economies is different, they share many commonalities. She highlighted that Punjab is not only a province of 130 million people; but people from other federal units also come to Punjab in search of better opportunities and a better life.
Chief Minister Punjab said that Guizhou has a population of 38.6 million, but Punjab can be considered comparable in size to a large country in the world; so both Guizhou and Punjab are large regions with extensive human resources and continuously growing populations. She added that Punjab is rapidly undergoing transformatio; as through relentless work over past two and a half years, Punjab has made significant progress; as construction, repair, rehabilitation, and expansion work on 50,000 roads has been completed in Punjab. She was glad to express that for the first time in Punjab, a comprehensive electric mobility infrastructure is also in place; as environment-friendly electric buses manufactured in China are providing services in Punjab. She stated that a remarkable improvement in air quality through electric buses has also been achieved in Punjab. She lamented that in the past, Punjab used to experience air pollution and smog for three months every year, but thanks God smog has not been seen for the past two years due to their rigorous planning and effective implementation. She acknowledged that in order to eliminate smog, they have learned, and still continue to learn from China’s success and experiences in this regard.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said that a great deal of work has been done in Punjab to protect environment; and efforts are also being made to increase forest cover; which is the only sustainable way to deal with a disaster like smog. She added that Guizhou and Punjab have strong agricultural foundations, as well as manufacturing and services sectors. She flashed that agriculture is extremely important for Punjab because 70% of Pakistan’s total agricultural production is produced in Punjab; and agriculture sector provides employment and livelihoods to a large portion of Punjab’s population.
Chief Minister Punjab noticed that Guizhou’s economy also consists of major sectors like agriculture, industry, construction, and services; as Punjab is a huge agricultural and consumer market. She said that Punjab is rich in a young workforce, with 65% of its population under the age of 30, as well as due to its strong manufacturing capabilities. She added that Guizhou has extensive experience in industrial development, digital infrastructure, and intelligent computing technology; so along with Guizhou, they want to move from the traditional economic model to a model of higher productivity, value-added goods, technology, and private-sector partnerships, She thanked Allah Almighty that Punjab is a province that is using artificial intelligence; and investment in AI is ongoing.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said that Punjab is the only province with an Artificial Intelligence Office dedicated to the better and more effective use of technology; as they are eager to learn from Huawei and Alibaba’s medical services and innovations. She added that Punjab is the first province in Pakistan to formally use AI. She highlighted that a 1,000-bed cancer hospital in Punjab will become a center of hope for patients; as cooperation in medical diagnosis through artificial intelligence is also not out of the question; as the proposed joint working group can prepare a complete project within 12 months to advance the agenda of development, cooperation, and mutual support.
Chief Minister Punjab said that she would be pleased if a Guizhou delegation visits Lahore to meet the relevant departments, universities, chambers of commerce, and potential business partners there. She added that they know that Guizhou possesses technology, determination, and a philosophy of shared human well-being; and noted that Punjab possesses a large young population, talent, a sizeable market, and a commitment to urban development. She affirmed that she is confident that capabilities and strengths of Guizhou and Punjab are ideally suited to each other; and stated that the protection, security, and facilitation of Chinese citizens residing in Punjab is their top priority; and she is confident that her visit can open a new practical chapter in relations between Punjab and Guizhou; as she considers it a privilege to have arrived in Guizhou and met China’s senior officials.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif highlighted that most of the ministers in her team are young and under the age of 50. She noted that Senior Minister & Minister for Planning and Environment Marriyum Aurangzeb is working like a warrior in the fight against air pollution; while Azma Zahid Bukhari is her Minister for Information and Culture; Kazim Pirzada is the Minister for Irrigation; Rana Sikandar Hayat is the Minister for Education; and Ashiq Hussain Kirmani is the Minister for Agriculture and Livestock. She expressed with pride that Provincial Adviser Ali Mustafa Dar is the head of Artificial Intelligence Office in Punjab.. –PR
