Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari hopes China and Pakistan will embark on more joint projects, and cooperate more closely in areas such as connectivity, education and health.
Zardari paid a 10-day visit to Chengdu City in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan, Shanghai and northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from Sept 12 to 21.
In an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) in Xinjiang's Urumqi City released on Thursday, Zardari voiced his admiration for China's progress, especially in high-speed rail technology.
Zardari proposed a high-speed rail link between Karachi and Hyderabad, and suggested that the Sindh government could fund 60 percent of the project, while China could finance the remaining 40 percent through soft loans.
"That high-speed train has blown my head off. I've been sleeping, dreaming about that train because the two cities, Karachi and Hyderabad, in my part of the world, if I had this train between the two cities, the travel is 20 minutes. Otherwise the travel is two and a half hours by road. So look at the potential, look at the people, bringing into interaction," he said.
On education, he said Sindh was prepared to send nurses to China for training, providing land and facilities locally while Chinese experts could offer both in-person and remote instruction.
"And I wish we could interact in education sector also. I'm dying to send nurses to China. But first we have to sign an MOU with your embassy in Karachi and get together. The Sindh government will mostly finance it, will give the building, will give the land, will give the trainers, and those trainers don't have to be sitting in Karachi. They could be running a class from China, and the practicable aspect of it (could be done) the way the Chinese run medicine because that's what's in demand here," he said.
Pakistan eyes connectivity, education cooperation with China: president
