Signing of Letter of Intents of Friendly Cooperation between Sahiwal and Wuzhong and Bahawalpur and Zhongwei City of Ningxia

September 22,2023

The Chief Minister of Punjab, Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, visited Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region China, from 18 to 21 September 2023 to attend the Third Ningxia International Sister Cities Forum and Sixth China Arab Expo held in Yinchuan , Ningxia. The Chief Minister was accompanied by a 15-member delegation comprising provincial ministers and high ranking officials. 

During the visit, Chief Minister Punjab met with the provincial leadership of Ningxia and exchanged views on the avenues to enhance cooperation between the two sister provinces, Ningxia and Punjab. The two sides signed Letters of Intent to establish sister city relations between Sahiwal and Wuzhong as well as Bahawalpur and Zhongwei.  Mr, Zhou Yihe Deputy Mayor of Wuzhong city and Mr, Kang JunJie Deputy Mayor of Zhongwei represented their cities in the signing ceremony. Mr. S.M. Tanvir, Minister of Agriculture and Industrial Development, Government of Punjab signed the two agreements from the Pakistani side. 

Wuzhong is the second most populous city of the region, specialising in diary, smart agriculture and food processing. Zhongwei, predominantly a desert city, has been developed as a centre of renewable energy including solar and wind farming, and also as a model base in the region’s drive for oasification in desert areas.

The friendship agreements entail cooperation in a range of areas, especially agriculture, education, healthcare, economy and trade, science and technology and tourism. The latest agreements seek to further promote people to people exchanges, which have grown significantly, including due to the establishment of over 40 sister province and sister city relationships between various cities and regions of China and Pakistan. 

Beijing

22 September 2023