ISLAMABAD: A delegation of Chinese company Shandong Xinxu Group met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday, expressing interest in building a maritime industrial complex in Pakistan and constructing a green shipbreaking yard in the country, Sharif’s office said in a statement.

Shandong Xinxu Group Co., Ltd. is a high-tech energy enterprise integrating the renewable energy industry chain, including dedicated battery equipment, nuclear power equipment, urban wastewater treatment projects and renewable smart energy storage systems. According to its website, Shandong Group’s products have been exported to more than 40 countries and regions such as Pakistan, India, Tunisia and Belarus.

Business at the shipyard has declined in recent years as Pakistan navigates a tricky path to recovery from a prolonged macroeconomic crisis. The shipbreaking industry has also taken a hit due to worldwide calls to stop beach scrapping because of the danger and environmental damage from pollutants left to drain into the sea.

Sharif met Shandong Group’s delegation, led by its chairman Hou Jianxin in Islamabad, the PMO said. During the meeting, Sharif invited Chinese industries to invest in Pakistan, assuring them that the government will provide all possible facilities for the establishment of Special Economic Zones.