Huawei CEO expresses interest in 'heavy investment' during meeting with PM Imran in Beijing.

Byline: Tahir Sherani

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday met the founder and chief executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei, Ren Zhengfei, in Beijing, who expressed his interest in making "heavy investment" in Pakistan, according to a statement by the Ministry of Planning.

Huawei has already set up a regional service centre in Pakistan, the statement notes, adding that 600 IT professionals are presently working there.

The prime minister also met with representatives of other leading Chinese firms, who pledged large-scale private sector investment in Pakistan.

The CEOs of Rainbow Agritech Group, Challenge Apparel, Li and Fin Corporation, and Foton cars were among the business leaders who met the premier, according to the planning ministry handout.

Prime Minister Imran Khan in a discussion with Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei. Ministry of Planning

Board of Investment (BoI) Chairman Haroon Sharif and Advisor to PM on Commerce and Industry Abdul Razak Dawood were also present during the meetings. The prime minister directed the BoI chairman to remove any hurdles faced by investors and ensure that they are facilitated on a priority basis.

Multiple new memoranda of understanding were inked with various Chinese firms to further cooperation in diverse fields, the details of which are as under:

China Railway Construction Corporation (International) Limited and Fastrack Silverlink (Pvt) Ltd in conducting railway cargo business

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government of Pakistan and China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC) Ltd under the Clean Green Pakistan movement

MOU for setting-up the first cloud centre in Pakistan for the finance and media industry in collaboration with Huawei Technologies and Airlink Communication

Theatrical distribution agreement between M and D Films Pakistan and Fire International Media of China for release of the film 'Parwaz Hay Junoon' in China

Framework investment agreement between China-Pak Energy Investment (Suzhou) Co Ltd, Sinohydro Corporation Ltd and Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation...