HANGZHOU, China Aug 22 (APP): President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday said that China is world’s next super power for trade and investment and a place for the world to learn a lesson.Addressing a forum on Pakistan Zhejiang Trade and Investment Opportunities: Current Cooperation and Future Prospects, the President said China is also a great opportunity to learn and enhance one’s knowledge.

“Chinese progress is becoming a lesson for the world to look at. It is the future’s superpower in terms of investment and trade,” President Zardari said.

The forum was organized by Pakistan embassy and Department of Commerce Zhejiang Province.

Representatives of Zhejiang’s 16 top business houses, whose combined annual turnover runs into billions of dollars, attended the forum. Some of them also made presentation to the President about their companies and said they were keen to invest in Pakistan.

They said they highly regard Pakistan and its people and would contribute towards the development of that country.

President Zardari said the Chinese have indigenously developed their own parameters of progress, from which not only Pakistan would like to learn, but it is something for the whole world to learn from.

President Zardari recalled that a solid foundation of Pakistan-China relationship was laid by late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto when he was the foreign minister.

“Our friendship is higher than Himalayas and deeper than oceans,” he added.

The President also mentioned that his son attended Beijing Olympics and received an overwhelming welcome from the Chinese.

“Future generations of the two countries should cherish the bonds of friendship that Pakistan and China enjoy.”

He said he was fulfilling his promise of visiting China after every three months and every time when he comes to China, he visits a new province.

“Every time I come I visit a new Chinese province, I learn. I want to educate myself and enhance my knowledge and capability,” the President remarked.

He said that it was his dream that Pakistan should become a gateway for Chinese exports to world markets as his country’s ports were nearer than China’s own water fronts.

He said from some of Chinese cities, it takes over three weeks for the export material to reach the nearest port.

“Pakistan can be a transit to all trade to and from China .

Your strength is our strength and our strength is your strength.”

About the ongoing projects that Chinese engineers and experts are carrying out in Pakistan, President Zardari said he personally monitors their progress by holding regular meetings with Chinese ambassador in Islamabad.

Earlier, Pakistan ‘s ambassador to China Masood Khan in his remarks said Zhejiang’s high GDP and per capita income makes it one of the critical engines of growth of modern China.

He said President’s visit to the province will give a fresh impetus to Pakistan-Zhejiang relations in the fields of agriculture, fisheries, businesses, infrastructure development, light industry and textiles.