Chinese Finance Minister Lan Fo’an Meets Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to Reinforce Support for Pakistan’s Financial Stability
Chinese Finance Minister Lan Fo’an met with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday, affirming China’s ongoing commitment to supporting Pakistan’s efforts towards achieving financial stability.
Both sides appreciated the bilateral financial and banking cooperation as a reflection of the “All Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership”. Minister Lan Fo’an acknowledged the positive trajectory of Pakistan’s economy during the meeting.
According to the Foreign Office (FO), the discussions between the two dignitaries included exploring avenues to further enhance financial cooperation, particularly in light of the expanding business-to-business (B2B) ties between the two nations.
Deputy Prime Minister Dar highlighted Islamabad’s reform agenda, focusing on governance, revenue generation, and improving the ease of doing business to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). He emphasized the government’s prioritization of Chinese investments across various sectors, including agriculture, IT, mining, minerals, and renewable energy.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Dar, who arrived in Beijing on May 13 to co-chair the 5th Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue, met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. Minister Wang Yi expressed Beijing’s readiness to advance an “upgraded version” of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) during their discussions.
Both ministers agreed to sustain the positive momentum of bilateral relations across all cooperation areas and further strengthen the enduring friendship between the two countries.
During his four-day visit, Deputy Prime Minister Dar engaged in high-level interactions with several Chinese officials, including Chinese Executive Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Secretary-General Ambassador Zhang Ming.
In his meeting with Executive Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, Dar extensively discussed various aspects of bilateral relations, focusing on CPEC Phase II, trade, economic cooperation, and investment. He highlighted the progress achieved under CPEC in energy and infrastructure and expressed confidence in the benefits of Phase II, particularly in industry, agriculture, and mineral development.
Throughout his visit, Deputy Prime Minister Dar emphasized Pakistan’s investor-friendly policies and encouraged Chinese companies to establish manufacturing and processing units in Pakistan.
