Foreign news
Xi Jinping to attend grand gathering marking 40th anniversary of Shenzhen SEZ
Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend a ceremony on October 14 in south China’s Shenzhen City to mark the 40th anniversary of the city being designated as China’s first special economic zone.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will make an important speech at the event.
On August 26, 1980, the 15th meeting of the Standing Committee of the fifth National People’s Congress, the national legislature, approved the establishment of special economic zones in Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Shantou in Guangdong Province and Xiamen in Fujian Province.
Over the past four decades, Shenzhen has transformed from a small fishing village into a modern metropolis with a permanent population of over 13 million.
From 1979 to 2019, Shenzhen’s gross domestic output (GDP) rose at an annual growth rate of 21.6 percent to 2.69 trillion yuan (about $388.89 billion), and its per capita GDP skyrocketed from 606 yuan to 203,489 yuan.
Shenzhen has now become the “Silicon Valley of China” and is regarded as an “engine” for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area’s development into a vibrant world-class city cluster.
On average, there are 8.5 state-level high-tech enterprises per square km in Shenzhen, and an average of 71 invention patents are authorized every day.
Shenzhen now boasts eight Chinese Fortune 500 firms including Huawei, Tencent, Vanke and Ping An Insurance, ranking third on the Chinese mainland in terms of the number of such enterprises. Nearly 300 overseas Fortune 500 enterprises have settled in the city.
Foreign news
Pakistan Moves to Deepen Diplomatic, Economic Relations With Nigeria
The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has called for deeper diplomatic and economic ties with the Nigerian government to foster development for both countries.
Mr Rana Ihsaan, the Coordinator to the Prime Minister of Pakistan made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during his working vist to Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja.
NAN reports that the visiting Coordinator held a closed-door meeting with Yusuf Tuggar, the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
After the meeting, he said that both both sides had agreed on deepening relations in the areas of trade and commerce, among others.
Ihsaan said that both countries must see the need to accelerate efforts towards a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).
He said that Pakistan had already submitted a draft BTA and was awaiting Nigeria’s response.
According to him, discussions centered on easing visa processes, expanding educational exchanges, and strengthening Cooperation in sectors such as Minerals, Youth training, and Defence were highlighted.
Ihsaan said that Pakistan had already implemented visa-on-arrival for Nigerians at no cost, and urged Nigeria to reciprocate to enhance people-to-people ties.
He stressed the importance of high-level engagements between both nations, describing Nigeria and Pakistan as very similar countries with large populations, youthful demographics, and vast economic potentials.
“Deeper collaboration will unlock opportunities in trade, education and investment, while further solidifying long-standing diplomatic relations,” he said.
He said that aside from visiting the foriegn Minister and other top government officials in Nigeria, he was also in the country to attend the on-going West Africa Beauty Exhibition holding in Lagos.
He described the exhibition as one of the continent’s largest cosmetic fairs, adding that he led a delegation of 19 Pakistani business people exploring Nigeria’s estimated 10 million dollar beauty and cosmetics market.
Ihsaan said that Nigeria was a gateway to Africa, adding that Pakistani products, like cosmetics, Textiles, Pharmaceuticals, Food items and Sports goods were already gaining traction in the country.
He encouraged Pakistani exhibitors to establish offices, Warehouses and logistics partnerships to strengthen their foothold in the Nigerian market.
Ihsaan further addressed concerns from Nigerian businesses on the ease of doing business in Pakistan.
He said that the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan had been supporting Nigerian participants at major exhibitions to achieve the ease of doing business.
“The Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) serves as a one-stop platform for Nigerians interested in investing in Pakistan,” he said
Culled from NAN
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