At a webinar organized by the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Hussain Haider, Pakistan’s Consul General in Shanghai, said, in order to increase exports, Pakistan’s business and industrial communities need to focus on value addition. Pakistan exports raw material and less value added products to China. However, it has immense potential to export value added products, said Haider. The Yangtze River Delta region in China, which comprised Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui areas, is the most technologically advanced region with the highest per capita income as well as gigantic contribution to the Chinese gross domestic product (GDP), he added.

Haider advised industry experts to focus on digitization for business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) modes, which is currently being implemented in the Yangtze River Delta region. Pakistan Consulate in Shanghai had identified numerous sectors that Pakistani manufacturers could tap because they already had the expertise and were expected to capture a sizeable share in the Chinese market. These sectors included textile and clothing, value added textile, garments, medical and surgical equipment, sports goods and leather apparel.

He urged for a sister city status for Karachi and Shanghai which could strengthen bilateral trade and investment ties.