ISLAMABAD: Islamabad has launched a ‘national pavilion’ on China’s JD.com aimed at providing a platform to traders from both countries to promote Pakistani products through Beijing’s huge online market, state-run APP news agency reported on Saturday.
JD.com is China’s largest online retailer and its biggest overall retailer as well as the country’s biggest Internet company by revenue.
Pakistan’s ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque, inaugurated Pakistan’s first online national pavilion at a ceremony held at the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing. Vice President of Prestige International, Ms. Sisy Ge, Senior Adviser of Prestige International, Luo Xiangdon and senior Pakistani officials were present at the event.
“While pavilion will serve as a starting point in further exploring excellent opportunities offered by the Chinese digital economy, it would also complement the efforts of Pakistan’s offline pavilions which have already been in active operation in various cities of China including Chengdu, Kunming, Urumqi Yiwu and Zhengzhou,” Haque was quoted by APP as saying. “Moreover, this pavilion would also provide a window for promoting Pakistan’s culture, cuisine, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.”
Haque called the launch of the pavilion a “historic occasion.”
“Our traders and exporters can open their shops and introduce their products through this platform and Chinese importers can also sell their Pakistan products,” he said, adding that Pakistani food products, garments, leather products, sports goods and even furniture could be promoted through this online platform.
“Our professional team will help Pakistani traders to export their products into Chinese markets and to connect them to the online platform,” an official at Prestige International said. “In the beginning, Pakistani food products would be put on sale on this online platform but gradually all kinds of high quality products would be available.”
Pakistan launches ‘national pavilion’ on China’s JD.com
https://arab.news/9ek69
Pakistan launches ‘national pavilion’ on China’s JD.com
- Pavilion will provide platform to promote Pakistani products through China’s huge online market
- JD.com is China’s largest online retailer and country’s biggest Internet company by revenue
India to make Rafale jets with France in boost to defense ties, Macron says
- India last week gave clearance to buy 114 more Rafale jets for country’s air force, besides planes, missiles
- Rafale jets flown by the Indian Air Force were in the spotlight during India’s conflict with Pakistan last May
NEW DELHI: France and India are entering a new era of defense cooperation with plans to jointly produce Rafale fighter jets as well as helicopters, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday, adding France also hopes to sell more submarines to India.
India’s expected order for another 114 Rafales is a “new step forward” in defense ties between the two countries and France hopes to see this replicated with submarines as well, Macron told reporters at the end of a three-day visit to India.
“On Rafale, what we want to do is expand. India confirmed a few days ago its willingness to command a new bunch of Rafales... 114... and to co-produce in India,” Macron said.
The Defense Acquisition Council of India’s defense ministry last week gave initial clearance to acquire 114 more Rafale jets for the air force, besides other planes and missiles, months after the worst fighting in decades between India and Pakistan.
So far, India has purchased 36 Rafales for its air force and ordered another 26 marine versions of the jet for the navy.
Details of the Rafale deal including plans for co-production, expected to be sealed after technical and commercial negotiations, are yet to be made public. Indian media reports have said that the 114 jets manufactured by Dassault Aviation are expected to cost 3.25 trillion rupees ($35.65 billion).
They have also reported that up to 90 of the 114 jets could be produced in India with a joint venture partner who is yet to be identified.
“Rafale is absolutely key,” Macron said. “I hope we will do it on submarines. We offered additional capacities.”
The Indian navy operates six French Scorpene submarines and local media reports say there are plans to order more.
On Tuesday, Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the first H125 helicopter assembly line, made in India by a joint venture between Airbus and Tata Advanced Systems, as well as a plan to jointly produce HAMMER missiles in India, by Safran and India’s state-owned Bharat Electronics.
Rafale jets flown by the Indian Air Force were in the spotlight during India’s conflict with Pakistan last May.
Reuters reported that Pakistan’s Chinese-made J-10C jets shot down at least one Rafale, citing US officials.
New Delhi has confirmed losses in the air but has not acknowledged a Rafale being shot down.
