BEIJING: Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi visited Hong Kong and met its Director General John Lee Ka-chiu and discussed cooperation in the field of culture and tourism. I had a very productive visit to Hong Kong. I am very impressed with the positive steps Hong Kong continues to take, says Khalil Hashmi in a recent interview with China Daily. I have seen great progress in every way, positive progress. He said both the Hong Kong and Macau special administrative regions have their own strengths, such as in financial services such as banking and insurance, and technology. It (Hong Kong) also has a lot of experience in shipping and trading.
The ambassador also met with many other important figures in Hong Kong, including the city’s Belt and Road Commissioner Nicholas Ho Lik-chi, President of the Legislative Council Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen, and senior officials from InvestHK, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the China General Chamber of Commerce. The ambassador also called on the president and top managers of Hong Kong Baptist University and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He also met senior executives of Hutchison Port Holdings – the largest HKSAR investor in Pakistan’s port and shipping business.
The number of Pakistani expatriates in Hong Kong has so far reached 40,000, according to the Consulate General of Pakistan in SAR. Hashmi also held valuable discussions with community leaders of the Pakistani diaspora, praising their spirit of solidarity and innovation, at an event organized by The Pakistan Association Hong Kong. In a speech at the Pakistan Club, in which he highlighted the role played by the Pakistani community in Hong Kong, Hashmi emphasized that Pakistani citizens and Hong Kong residents of Pakistani origin serve as a vital bridge in Pakistan-HKSAR relations.
The aim of the visit is to strengthen ties with Hong Kong in various fields, including trade and investment, education and people-to-people relations. On behalf of the Consulate General of Pakistan in the SAR, the Pakistani community in Hong Kong and the Pakistan Club, Bilal Ahmad Butt – Consul General of Pakistan in the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Region – extended a warm welcome to Ambassador Hashmi. He said the ambassador’s visit to Hong Kong is not only a meeting of diplomatic minds but also serves as a bridge to further strengthen ties between our communities across borders.
Hashmi’s efforts and determination to promote Pakistan-China relations have been invaluable, Butt said. He noted that the total trade between Pakistan and Hong Kong has reached $250 million (HK$1.96 billion). Pakistan mainly exports cotton, yarn, leather and food products, while the main products that Hong Kong exports to Pakistan have been broadcasting equipment, light rubberized knitwear and semiconductor equipment. The Ambassador held talks with representatives of the Pakistan Chamber of Commerce GBA.
The organization’s president, Qamar Minhas, said the ambassador urged them to intensify cultural exchanges between Pakistani communities and Hong Kong, as well as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which includes Hong Kong, Macao and nine cities in Guangdong Province. . Hashmi praised students of Pakistani origin in the region as having great potential and prospects while expanding their ties with the Greater Bay Area. The envoy also spoke to Rizwan Ullah – the newly appointed member of the Hong Kong District Council and urged other leaders of the Pakistani community to play a more active role in SAR to help raise the socio-economic status of the people. I was impressed with the overall progress of Hong Kong and its very hardworking people, Hashmi said. So there is a lot of energy and passionate people in this city. All in all, I am very happy and excited and look forward to my next visit here, he added.
