# CPEC at a glance



## ghazi52

*CPEC*

*CPEC Long Term Master Plan
*
This map includes zones for trade, business development, logistics, resource exploration, ecological exploration etc. It also highlights the passageways for short term, middle or long-term routes, major traffic lines, and border for core region as well.

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## ghazi52

*Power Projects & Highways Under CPEC*

These are the major highways and power projects mapped, under CPEC. These contain Coal, Solar, Wind and Hydro based power generation. 4 Major Highway Routes are also mapped such as Central, Northern, Eastern and Western.

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## ghazi52

CPEC Projects

CPEC is an ongoing development mega project which aims to connect Gwadar Port of Pakistan to China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang, via a network of highways, railways, and pipelines. The economic corridor is considered central to China–Pakistan relations and will run about 2700 km from Gwadar to Kashgar.

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and its connectivity with Central Asia, Middle East and Africa will help to shape the entire region. Overall construction costs are estimated at around $46 billion, with the entire project expected to be completed in several years.

The Corridor is an extension of China’s proposed 21st century Silk Road initiative. This is the biggest overseas investment by China announced so far and the corridor is expected to be operational within three years. The corridor will be a strategic game-changer in the region and would go a long way in making Pakistan a richer and stronger entity.

The CPEC projects, investment on the corridor will transform Pakistan into a regional economic hub. The corridor will be a confidence booster for investors and attract investment not only from China but from other parts of the world as well. Other than transportation infrastructure, the economic corridor will provide Pakistan with telecommunications and energy infrastructure.

The Ministry of Planning, Development & Reform (MPD&R) is the focal Ministry for this engagement whereas its counterpart in China is National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

http://www.pc.gov.pk/

*MAIN COMPONENTS OF CORRIDOR:*


Gwadar ( including port and city and Gwadar region socio-economic development)
Energy (Coal, Hydel, Wind, Solar, LNG, Transmission)
Transport Infrastructure (Road, Rail, Aviation)
Investment & Industrial Cooperation (Gwadar Free Zone and other industrial parks to be finalized)
Any other area of interest mutually agreed
The table given below summarizes the number of projects identified so far along with estimated cost under CPEC:

*Sector.........................................* *No. of Projects..............* *Estimated Cost (Million $)

01* *Energy* .............................................*21.........................* *33,793
02* *Transport Infrastructure...................* *4...........................* *9,784
03* *Gwadar..............................................* *8...........................* *792.62

*

*DIVERSE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES*


Industrial Cooperation
Financial Cooperation
Agricultural Cooperation
Tourism
Educational linkage
Human resource development
Health Care
People to people contact
Increase in livelihood opportunities
Enhance Security and stability of the region

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## Goenitz

i pray may Allah make all of it fruitful for us

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## ghazi52

*Transportation Infrastructure*

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor envisions an extensive overhaul of the existing transportation infrastructure in Pakistan and laying out of new routes for the facilitation of transit trade and enhancement of market accessibility.

As an essential part of the CPEC, China and Pakistan have joined hands in building the transportation infrastructure stated below.

*PROJECT NAME:* .......*COMPANY NAME:* ............*STATUS:* *PROGRESS:

*
KKH PhaseII
(Havelian- Thakot Section), 120 km
China Road and Bridge Corporation Under Construction 70% Completion

Karachi-Lahore Motorway
(Sukkur-Multan Section),392 km
China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited Under Construction 70% Completion

Joint Feasibility Study for Upgradation of ML1 and Establishment of Havelian Dryport
China Railway Feasibility study completed; Framework Agreement signed 100% Completion

Upgradation of ML-1
(Multan-Lahore Section, 339 km; Hyderabad-Multan Section, 749 km; Kemari-Hyderabad Section, 182 km)
TBD (To Be Determined) Government Framework Agreement under discussion 40% Completion

New Havelian Dry Port
TBD (To Be Determined) Feasibility completed Project to be put on fast track Framework agreement signed in May 2017 25% Completion

Khuzdar-Basima
Highway (N-30), 110 km
TBD (To Be Determined) Feasibility and PC-I completed LOI forwarded to Chinese side Procedural formalities to be completed shortly (ECNEC approved the projects in May 2017) Frame Work Agreement shared with Chinese Side
25% Completion

KKH Phase III
(Raikot-Thakot Section)280km
TBD (To Be Determined) Feasibility and PC-I completed LOI forwarded to Chinese side Procedural formalities to be completed shortly 25% Completion

D.I.Khan-Quetta Highway (N-50), 533km
TBD (To Be Determined) Feasibility stage 15% Completion

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## ghazi52

*Energy Projects*

Recognizing the growing energy needs of Pakistan, and to overcome the existing deficits, CPEC has allocated a major proportion of its funds to energy generation and transmission.

Energy projects stated below are included in CPEC and would contribute towards the sustainable growth of industries and unhindered electric supply for domestic consumption in Pakistan.



*Prioritized/Early Harvest Projects, 10400 MW
*

*PROJECT NAME:* .........*COMPANY NAME:.........* *STATUS:* *PROGRESS:.........* *PICTURES:

*
2x660MW Port Qasim Coal-fired Power Plant Power China Resources Ltd. Under Construction 100% Completion







2x660MW Sahiwal Coal-Fired Power Plant Huaneng Shandong Ruyi (Pakistan) Energy (Private) Ltd. Two units inaugurated 100% Completion









4x330MW Engro Thar Coal-fired Power Plant and Surfice Mine in Block II of Thar Coal Field China Machinery Engineering Corporation（CMEC） Under Construction 60% Completion










50MW Dawood Wind Farm Hydrochina International Engineering Co. Ltd. Commercial Operation Date achieved 100% Completion










900MW Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park in Bahawalpur Zonergy Company Ltd. Energization achieved 100% Completion







100MW Jhimpir Wind Farm UEP Wind Power (PVT) Ltd. Under Construction
100% Completion








873MW Suki Kinari Hydropower Project China Gezhouba Group Corporation International Ltd. (CGGC) Under Construction 65% Completion




50MW Sachal Wind Farm China Sunec Company Commercial Operation Date Achieved 100% Completion









2x660MW Rahimyar Khan Coal Power Plant TBD (To Be Determined) Feasibility stage
15% Completion




Thar Coal Block I and 2x660MW Mine Mouth Power Plant Shanghai Electric To be inaugurated 50% Completion

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## ghazi52

2 x 660MW Hubco Coal Power Plant China Power International Holding Ltd. Implementation Agreement Initiated; Expected financial close by August 2017
50% Completion




300 MW Gwadar Power Plant TBD (To Be Determined) Feasibility stage 60% Completion




Matiari-Lahore Transmission Line China State Grid Negotiation in Process
15% Completion




Matiari-Faisalabad Transmission Line China State Grid Negotiation in Process
15% Completion

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## ghazi52

*
Actively Promoted Projects, 17045 MW
*

*PROJECT NAME:.........* *COMPANY NAME:...........* *STATUS:* *PROGRESS:* 
*
*
2x660MW Gaddani Powerplant at District Lasbela, Balochistan TBD (To Be Determined) Feasibility Stage
15% Completion



1100MW Kohala Hydro-Power Station China Three Gorges South Asia Investment Ltd. Negotiation in Process 15% Completion



2x50MW Wind Farm Phase II of Pakistan China Three Gorges South Asia Investment Ltd. Financial Close Achieved 70% Completion

660MW HUBCO Coal Power Plant China Power International Holding Ltd. Negotiation in Process 15% Completion

300MW Salt Range Mine Mouth Power Plant including Mining China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) – 15% Completion



2x660MW Thar Mine Mouth Coal Fired Power Plant by Oracle TBD (To Be Determined) Feasibility stage 15% Completion



2x660MW Muzaffargarh Coal-fire Power Plant China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) Feasibility stage 15% Completion



525MW Gas Fired Power Plant TBD (To Be Determined) Feasibility stage 15% Completion

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## ghazi52

*Industrial Cooperations*

In addition to enhancing economic cooperation and connectivity across the region, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor serves to enhance industrial cooperation between different parts of Pakistan as well.

Projects aimed at engaging various regions of Pakistan through resource mobility, economic integration, and information connectivity are stated below. Industrial cooperations is a vital part of the partnership we are building with our customers – a strong partnership that gives each party long-term and strategic advantages. The experience and competence we have of industrial cooperation are important factors behind our most successful customer relationships. It is our firm belief that real partnership gives a real advantage.





*PROJECT NAME..........:* *COMPANY NAME:* ..............*STATUS:* *PROGRESS:................* 



*Gwadar-Nawabshah LNG Terminal and Pipeline, 700 km *China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau To be Inaugurated 

*
Haier & Ruba Economic Zone Phase I*I Haier Electrical Applications Corporation Ltd. Feasibility Stage



*Optical Fiber Cable* from Rawapindi to Khunjrab Huawei Technology Co., Ltd. Work on 450km/ 820km segment completed 



*DTMB* Demonstration Project TBD (To Be Determined) Government MOU Signed 


*
Lahore Orange Line Metro Train *China Railway-China North Industries Group Corporation(CR-NORINCO) Under Construction



Promotion of TD-LTE commercialization in Pakistan TBD (To Be Determined) Feasibility Stage

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## ghazi52

*Gwadar Port City Projects*

As part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and by extension, that of the Silk Route Initiative, Gwadar holds pivotal importance. The port city of Gwadar is a hub of connectivity for the Corridor and an indispensable interchange for the Silk Route. Through its deep-sea port, Gwadar has helped China and Pakistan realize the goal of a 21st Century Maritime Silk Route, which will benefit not only China and Pakistan but also Central Asia by becoming the region’s key entrepôt.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, however, plans not to limit Gwadar to a connecting port only but enriches it as an economic hub that will cater to the local population by improving their livelihoods. Projects planned for the Gwadar Port City aim at capacitating Balochistan to its full economic, social, technical, and energy potential, and closely integrating it within the economic framework of Pakistan and China.




*PROJECT NAME:.......* *COMPANY NAME...........:* *STATUS:* *PROGRESS:
*


Gwadar Eastbay Expressway (19 km, connecting Gwadar Port to Mehran Coastal Highway) 


Gwadar New International Airport Civil Aviation Authority Government Framework Agreement Signed 40% Completion


Gwadar Free Zone China Overseas Ports Holding Company Ltd. (COPHC) 1st phase completed 60% Completion


Gwadar Smart Port City Master Plan TBD (To Be Determined) Contract negotiations underway 20% Completion

Expansion of Multi-purpose Terminal including Breakwater and Dredging Feasibility stage 

Gwadar Eastbay Expressway II (19 km, connecting Eastbay Expressway I to New Gwadar International Airport) 15% Completion

Fresh Water Supply, Wastewater Treatment Plants for Gwadar City 15% Completion

China-Pakistan Faqeer Primary School Project China Communications Construction Company Ltd. Completed

Gwadar Pak-China Friendship Hospital Upgradation 

Gwadar Pak-China Friendship Technical and Vocational College

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## ozranger

You guys can get some basic idea about the project in regard to transportation and energy from the following video. Just look at the newly built motor way and the power line towers along the road.

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## ghazi52

CPEC to be completed at all costs: Imran Khan

"The corridor is a manifestation of Pakistan-China friendship and the government will complete it at any cost and bring its fruit to every Pakistani," He said at a meeting on Friday held to review progress on the CPEC projects.

Terming the CPEC an excellent project for the country's socio-economic development, he said the gigantic multi-faceted initiative would guarantee a bright future for the nation.

Lauding the performance of CPEC Authority,

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## ghazi52

*88 CPEC projects to benefit Pakistan with 2.3 million jobs:*

✌19 projects are completed!
28 projects under implementation!
41 projects are in the pipeline!

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## ghazi52



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## Syed1.

The effects of CPEC are beginning to show. Give it 5 more years and even the biggest detractors will realize it. 

I just wish Nawaj government had started on the ML-1 so that it would have completed by 2025. But he purposefully didn't start it because he wouldn't have been able to take credit for it at the time of completion.

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## ghazi52

These are rough locations of SEZs (Special Economic Zones) in Pakistan, under CPEC.

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## ghazi52



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## ghazi52

*CPEC is transforming Pakistan’s remote Gilgit-Baltistan*

Syeda Sadia Shahid

August 19, 2020

The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is transforming the remote Gilgit-Baltistan into a lucrative business hub of Pakistan.Gilgit-Baltistan was once known as the Northern Areas and was the part of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir region at the confluence of the world’s greatest mountain ranges the Karakoram, the Himalaya, the Hindukush, and the Pamir, and now people have started investing in this region. GB is highly rich with natural beauty, culture and its history is well known worldwide. This region has been the center of historical conflicts among Chinese, Russians, and the British.
Moreover, as many investors are trying to establish their business in this area, 46 years of man Hasan Nasar returned from Thailand and established a business of precious and semi-precious stones in Gilgit. Many investors, banks, food chains, and many other businesses are moving into the mountainous region since the region became the gateway for multi-billion-dollar CPEC. Big and small business persons are availing this opportunity well that CPEC has offered.

A big market is flourishing in GB that is about 600 kilometers (372 miles) from the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. CPEC is proving to be a game-changer and is brightening many people’s fortune in the Gilgit-Baltistan region. CPEC worth $64 billion is a network of railways, pipelines, and roads. It aims to connect China northwestern Xinxiang province to the port of Gwadar in Balochistan province.

Nasar, owner of Gems Gallery located in the beautiful city market in Gilgit said, “I have moved here [Gilgit] from Bangkok in April this year and invested a hefty sum because this city is the future business hub after the CPEC becomes fully operational,”


However, the government is keen on developing the infrastructure to attract more tourists. It has been more than five years since the government is working to woo investors to invest here, said the former Chief Minister of GB Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman while speaking to Anadolu Agency.

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## ghazi52

*The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: How China is Reconstructing Pakistan*

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## khansaheeb

This quite interesting, it shows how Pakistan can connect to the railway with Central Asia, China and Europe:-





__





China and Kazakhstan open new second cross-border rail link - AAPAC Group News


China and Kazakhstan open new second cross-border rail link at Korgas Pass, Khorgos completing rail connection from China to Europe



www.aapacgroup.com


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## ghazi52

*China seeks additional guarantees for $6b new loan*

China has sought additional guarantees before sanctioning $6 billion loan for Main Line-1 (ML-1) project due to weakening financial position of Pakistan and also proposed a mix of commercial and concessional loan against Islamabad’s desire to secure the cheapest lending.

The issue of additional guarantees was raised during the third joint ML-1 financing committee meeting, held ten days ago, official documents said.

However, a senior Pakistani official involved in negotiations said that China did raise the additional guarantees issue during meeting but it did not make it part of the draft of the minutes shared with Pakistan.

The ML-1 project includes dualisation and upgrading of the 1,872km railway track from Peshawar to Karachi and is a major milestone for the second phase of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The purpose of raising the additional guarantees issue was getting more clarity after Pakistan availed G-20 countries debt relief initiative, he added. The draft minutes have not yet been signed by both the countries.

The third round of financial negotiations gave further clarity on the Chinese position on $6 billion lending for the $6.8 billion strategically important ML-1 project of Pakistan Railways, sources in the Ministry of Economic Affairs said.

The Chinese authorities asked for additional guarantee mechanism after Islamabad sought debt relief from G-20 countries, which was only meant for poorest nations of the world.
The G-2- nations have also imposed conditions that the poor countries would not secure expensive commercial loans, except those allowed under the IMF-WB framework.
The Chinese authorities have proposed that “keeping in view the financial situation in Pakistan so also the conditions laid down by the G-20 re

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## ghazi52

*Despite odds, China continues to invest in Pakistan*

In 2020, two countries maintained pace of work, expand cooperation


Shakeel Ahmad Ramay
January 03, 2021







*ISLAMABAD: *Year 2020 proved to be yet another period of misunderstanding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Rumours ruled the market and facts could not find a place in discussions. The situation aggravated in the wake of a disinformation campaign to malign CPEC and China-Pakistan relations.

The year started with negative reporting in the international and local media, and the year closed with another wave of negativity. Debt trap, slow pace of CPEC projects and rolling back of Chinese investment were the major allegations levelled to run the smear campaign.

The debt trap is a slogan which has been chanted for a long time. The purpose is to counter Chinese investment flow to Pakistan. First, it was used in Sri Lanka through a deliberate campaign. The purpose was to create fear among countries where China was planning to inject capital.

No doubt, Sri Lanka is going through a debt crisis. However, the Chinese investment has nothing to do with the crisis.

Dushni Weerakoon of Sri Lanka’s Institute of Policy Studies and Sisira Jayasuriya, a professor of economics at Monash University, highlighted that China’s share in the national debt was only 10%. Furthermore, over 60% of this 10% loan is at the concessionary rate of 2%. It is only a myth that Sri Lanka has to cede Hambantota Port to China.

The same strategy has been adopted to malign CPEC without paying any heed to data or analysis on CPEC investment. Such disinformation starts with reports of debt crisis in Pakistan and its weak foreign currency reserves. It is used to stir fear among people.

Then such conspiracy theories jump directly to CPEC without highlighting the debt contribution from Paris Club ($10.924 billion), International Monetary Fund ($7.68 billion), bilateral donors ($24.352 billion), multilateral donors ($39.392 billion) and international bonds ($5.3 billion).

They manipulate data in such a way that puts all the blame on CPEC, though the contribution of CPEC-related investment is only 5.6%, which they intentionally ignore.

The same reports are highlighted and propagated through different media channels. Innocent minds of Pakistanis are trapped through these reports. Common people cannot understand the economic terminologies and the complicated debt data.

Even the ruling elite, decision-makers and businessmen cannot comprehend difficult statistics. Hence, they easily become victim of the smear campaign.

Second, the rolling back of Chinese investment is another false slogan which has been adopted in recent times. The disinformation campaign has accelerated following the Covid-19 outbreak.

The pandemic and its impact on the global economy and investment have provided a greater opportunity to manipulate data. Thus, it is necessary to understand the global dynamics before discussing CPEC.

The World Bank has projected that the global economy will shrink 5.2% in 2020. UNCTAD has forecast that the global foreign direct investment (FDI) will take a 40% hit, which will push the FDI down to less than $1 trillion from $1.5 trillion. Moreover, it can further contract by 5-10% in 2021.


*Special focus*

Despite all these odds and challenges, China is not sitting back. While first half of 2020 saw some turbulence, later China recovered and accelerated its investment.

Pakistan being the host to CPEC, the flagship project of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), got special focus. China started enhancing investment in CPEC and non-CPEC projects.

Among these, China and Pakistan launched two big hydroelectric power projects costing $1.93 billion. It is a clean investment which will help Pakistan in many ways like cheap electricity, enhanced water storage capacity and availability of water for agriculture during lean periods.

Discussions on the ML-1 railway project are at advanced stages. China has also provided support through a currency swap arrangement.

Third, the pace of progress on projects is another subject of interest for the opponents of CPEC. A major reason behind this argument is the lack of evidence to prove fake news about debt trap and rolling back of CPEC investment.

However, the evidence suggests otherwise. CPEC is going on at a good pace, rather the project has expanded over the past two years. The setting up of CPEC Authority gave a fresh impetus to the project with expansion in the areas of cooperation.

In 2020, when the entire world was under the grip of the deadly pandemic and economic activities came to a standstill, Pakistan and China joined hands to maintain the pace of work and expand cooperation.

The M-4 motorway project was completed during that period. CPEC helped Pakistan to keep 40,000 of its workers engaged. Gwadar Port started functioning as a transit trade facility. The groundbreaking of Allama Iqbal Special Economic Zone (SEZ) was performed and preparation for the groundbreaking of Rashakai SEZ has been finalised.

Pakistan and China also expanded cooperation under CPEC. First, social development was added to the basket and China committed more than $1 billion. The programme will focus on skills development, healthcare, education and job creation.

In 2020, two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed in the fields of agriculture and science and technology. Besides, China offered to donate a date processing plant for Balochistan. The plant will play an important role in creating livelihood opportunities for the local people and enhancing export earnings for Pakistan.

Hence, the campaign against CPEC is unjustified and does not have any sound footing. It is suggested that the government should take immediate steps to improve communication about CPEC benefits for poverty reduction, industrialisation and economic transformation.

The CPEC Authority is already working on it and it has improved the communication tremendously but there is a need to further accelerate the process.

Lastly, all players in the power structure should immediately stop making CPEC a subject of point scoring. It is hurting the project and interest of the country.

The writer is a political economist


_Published in The Express Tribune, January 4th, 2021._

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## -blitzkrieg-

Any updates on Khunjerab rail project?

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## aziqbal

great turning point in Pakistans history 

CPEC will change the future for generations

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## Pak_Sher

ghazi52 said:


> *China seeks additional guarantees for $6b new loan*
> 
> China has sought additional guarantees before sanctioning $6 billion loan for Main Line-1 (ML-1) project due to weakening financial position of Pakistan and also proposed a mix of commercial and concessional loan against Islamabad’s desire to secure the cheapest lending.
> 
> The issue of additional guarantees was raised during the third joint ML-1 financing committee meeting, held ten days ago, official documents said.
> 
> However, a senior Pakistani official involved in negotiations said that China did raise the additional guarantees issue during meeting but it did not make it part of the draft of the minutes shared with Pakistan.
> 
> The ML-1 project includes dualisation and upgrading of the 1,872km railway track from Peshawar to Karachi and is a major milestone for the second phase of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
> 
> The purpose of raising the additional guarantees issue was getting more clarity after Pakistan availed G-20 countries debt relief initiative, he added. The draft minutes have not yet been signed by both the countries.
> 
> The third round of financial negotiations gave further clarity on the Chinese position on $6 billion lending for the $6.8 billion strategically important ML-1 project of Pakistan Railways, sources in the Ministry of Economic Affairs said.
> 
> The Chinese authorities asked for additional guarantee mechanism after Islamabad sought debt relief from G-20 countries, which was only meant for poorest nations of the world.
> The G-2- nations have also imposed conditions that the poor countries would not secure expensive commercial loans, except those allowed under the IMF-WB framework.
> The Chinese authorities have proposed that “keeping in view the financial situation in Pakistan so also the conditions laid down by the G-20 re


China already refuted this as not factual

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## ghazi52

Pak_Sher said:


> China already refuted this as not factual




Yes.


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## ghazi52

*$1 billion allocated under CPEC for education, vocational training and tourism development*

By Gwadar Pro
Jan 5, 2021
Shafqat Ali

Islamabad, January 6: $1 billion has been allocated under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for education, vocational training and tourism development, Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser said Tuesday evening.

He said in order to fully materialise the financial allocation, necessary planning must be done for its full utilisation.

In a meeting with Speaker Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly Amjad Ali Zaidi who called on him here, Asad Qaiser said that the projects under CPEC will usher in a new era of development and prosperity in the region.

He said GB had immense natural potential which could be used to significantly increase the development of the region.

“Issues of mutual interest and overall political situation of the country, especially Gilgit Baltistan came under discussion,” said an official statement.

Speaker Asad Qaiser congratulated Amjad Hussain Zaidi on assuming the office of Speaker Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly.

He said the public and stakeholders’ engagement was imperative for achieving the desired results of CPEC.

In this regard, he said, a series of consultation with stakeholders, intelligence, government officials and business community and a sitting would also be arranged in GB tentatively in March, this year.

Gilgit-Baltistan Speaker thanked Asad Qaiser for his sentiments for the development of Gilgit-Baltistan. He said undoubtedly the CPEC project was the guarantor of development and prosperity of Pakistan, especially Gilgit Baltistan.

He said that people of GB had reposed confidence in the PTI in the recent elections and the government will try to come up with their expectations.

Amjad Zaidi said that as per vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, steps were being taken on a priority basis for the development of GB.

He said that Gilgit-Baltistan has been blessed with immense tourism potential and provision of infrastructure in the tourism sector can further improve the living standards of the people of the area.

He said with the timely completion of ongoing projects under CPEC projects, the goals of economic development in Gilgit-Baltistan can be achieved.

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## ghazi52

__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=225567759125463


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## ghazi52

Executive Committee of National Economic Council approved Rs 37.9 billion worth Pak China Optical Fibre Cable Phase II under CPEC. The project will provide an alternate path for international connectivity and transform Pakistan as a Digital Gateway of regional connectivity.

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## ghazi52

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, H.E Nong Rong holds meetings with Rear Admiral Jawad Ahmed, Commander Pakistan Navy Western Command and General Officer Commanding #
Gwadar Maj Gen Aamer Najam .
He appreciated efforts by Pak Armed Forces in safeguarding smooth progress of CPEC.

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## ghazi52

33 projects worth $ 12 billion are completed under CPEC, including 8 energy plans, 5 transportation, 4 special economic zones and social and 4470 13 plans for economic development included. Furthermore, 40 plans worth $ 28 billion are also in the pipeline.







__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=120964156594294

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## ghazi52

*NHA Chairman expresses satisfaction over pace of work on CPEC western route*

February 11, 2021






National Highway Authority (NHA) Chairman Captain Sikander Qayyum expressed satisfaction over the pace and progress of work during his visit to all packages of Hakla (M-1) – D.I Khan Motorway Project, a Section of CPEC Western Route Corridor. Moreover, he directed all the concerned authorities to expedite the pace of work to ensure early completion and facilitate the public.

Islamabad : National Highway Authority (NHA) Chairman Captain (r)? Sikander Qayyum visited all packages of Hakla (M-1) – D.I Khan Motorway Project a Section of CPEC Western Route Corridor, says a press release.

The senior officers of NHA also accompanied him. The project authorities briefed him regarding the progress of works and the hindrances faced and being resolved during the execution of works.

NHA chairman expressed his satisfaction over the pace and quality of the ongoing construction activities.

Moreover the NHA chairman very kindly directed all the concerned authorities to ensure the completion of the project within scheduled time period so as the said project can be put for facilitation of general public.

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## ghazi52

*Financing Structure of CPEC*


SOURCEMuhammad Khudadad Chattha










The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a $62 billion multi-sector collaboration between Pakistan and China as part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Over the last few years, CPEC has been a hot topic of discussion amongst policymakers and ordinary citizens. To enrich this discussion, the Pakistan-China Institute (PCI) has produced descriptive statistics using data from $19 billion worth of projects out of the total portfolio.

The extensive details can be found in the recent monograph titled “CPEC: Where is the money going?” published by the PCI, and a shorter version published in Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development based at the National University of Singapore. A few highlights from this research are given below.


*Financing Instruments*


CPEC is composed of four different types of financing instruments. The first type is called “Investment” where the Chinese firms that are undertaking the infrastructure projects borrow commercial loans with an interest rate between 4-5% The second category is called “Concessional Loans” which are given to the Government of Pakistan at an interest rate of 2-2.5% with a maturity period of 25-30 years. The third category is called “Interest-free loans” which constitute a small proportion of the overall financing and have zero interest payments.

The last category is “Grants” which are aimed at improving state capacity. A break-up of the financing arrangement in the overall portfolio and the time series of these financing instruments are given below.











*Chinese Companies Involved*


The research has also shed light on the companies involved in different projects in CPEC. There are nine companies that dominate the portfolio. The companies are Chinese State-Owned Enterprises that have undertaken infrastructure projects in China and other countries in the past. China State Construction Engineering is the by far the biggest contributor to the portfolio and is being financed a total of around $3 billion. The details of these companies are given below.


















The main aim of this research was to inform policymakers, key stakeholders and citizens about the basic structure of CPEC. It is virtually impossible to have an informed discussion around CPEC without knowing this basic structure. Hence, it is hoped that the original monograph, along with this article will enrich the policy discussions around CPEC and solidly anchor these discussions in evidence and data.

_The author is a PhD candidate at the University of Oxford and is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He has also worked as a civil servant in Pakistan and tweets @KhudadadChattha (twitter.com/khudadadchattha)_

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## ghazi52

*All cooperation amongst countries under CPEC to be consensual*

March 17, 2021

SOURCEpakobserver






WE live in an “alternative” mechanism not in “absolute” world in which the concept of “relativity” and “game theory” plays a very important role in any bilateral or trilateral relations and business propositions.

During the most recently-held regular press conference, China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian endorsed the importance and utility of relativity and welcomed all countries and international organizations to take part in the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

He showcased CPEC as an important pilot project of the Belt and Road Initiative which remained transparent and open since its inception and based on the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits.

He further added that the principle of cooperation, collaboration and coordination in the building of CPEC with all the interested countries and international organizations would be on the basis of “consensus” and share the dividends of BRI cooperation.

Pakistan is a “gateway” to landlocked Central Asia and has invited all Central Asian Republics (CARs) to benefit from the shortest route to international seas.

Pakistan desires to forge closer ties with “Uzbekistan” and other CARs in areas of trade, investment, energy and people-to-people exchanges in which CPEC will play an important role.

The Republic of Uzbekistan has been pursuing “holistic” policies to enhance its regional connectivity for achieving desired goals of socio-economic prosperity, regional integration, poverty eradication, energy cooperation and last but not the least mass industrialization.


Thus, CPEC may hold the “key” of success in achieving regional connectivity.

Uzbekistan’s reconnect with South Asia through Pakistan offers the “shortest routes”. It has various “seaports” to benefit/connect Uzbekistan not only with South Asia and beyond.

Most recently, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Dr. Abdulaziz Kamilov paid a personal visit to Pakistan and met Prime Minister Imran Khan and discussed matters of regional connectivity and further strengthening of activities of trade & commerce.

During the meeting, Pakistan Prime Minister Khan emphasized the importance of economic development and enhanced bilateral trade through enhanced regional connectivity and termed it as the “cornerstones” of economic growth and development for both the countries.

He underlined Pakistan’s resolve to forge closer ties with Central Asia, covering trade, investment, energy as well as people-to-people exchanges and the CPEC may provide a “launching pad” to Uzbekistan to move forward to secure its “strategic” interests of “commercial diplomacy” and “regional connectivity” through various seaports of Pakistan and proposed trans-regional railways project.

Both sides have now agreed to develop “alternative routes/corridors” in which CPEC may play a vital role in the future.

Uzbekistan is one of the important countries of One Belt & One Road Initiative (BRI) and CPEC is the flagship project.

Thus commercial “convenience” and “convergence” is there to further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries through alternative corridors because regional connectivity heavily rests on economic corridors and transportation hubs.

Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi also held delegation level talks with the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan, Dr. Abdulaziz Kamilov.

During the meeting, both sides expressed their firm resolve to boost high-level interactions to give impetus to the existing positive momentum in bilateral relations.

It was agreed to maximally utilize the existing institutional mechanisms by regularly convening sessions of Bilateral Political Consultations (BPCS) and Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC).

He also underscored the importance of closer agricultural cooperation between the two countries particularly in the cotton seed sector.

Uzbekistan is blessed with natural coloured cotton which may be utilized by initiating a joint venture in public-private partnership between the two sides.

CPEC Phase-II may carry agricultural development in the country so scope of agricultural cooperation between Pakistan and Uzbekistan may be further strengthened in the days to come.

In this connection during the various spells of bilateral meetings both sides agreed to enhance trade relations, Bilateral Transit Trade Agreement (BTTA), Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), banking and visa issues, and aviation and customs cooperation.

In the near past, Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood and Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Sardor Umurzakov had various meaningful meetings to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

In order to further deepen the trade ties, both sides also agreed to hold a business conference in Tashkent in July this year.

Most recently, Pakistan offered cooperation to different Uzbek stakeholders including customs, maritime affairs, railways and aviation sectors.

Uzbekistan and Pakistan held the first meeting of the joint working group on trade and economic issues, as well as a railway project to link the two countries.

A special attention is now being paid to the practical aspects of the implementation of the project for the construction of the Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway.

The Proposed railway link through Afghanistan will have a strategic importance for further strengthening bilateral economic ties and ensuring sustainable development of the Central Asian region.
Uzbekistan’s national rail company has built and operates a railway line to Mazar-i-Sharif town in Afghanistan, and the project aims to link it to Pakistan opening the country’s seaports for the Central Asian region.

Uzbekistan’s President Mirziyoyev’s “paramount” structural reforms have now revolutionized Uzbekistan due to which its role in reconnecting Central Asia with South Asia has now been further consolidated.
Rich in hydrocarbons and mineral resources and possessing a relatively well-educated and low-cost labor force, Uzbekistan has become a leading emerging economy of the world.

Uzbekistan has great potential to serve as a “manufacturing”, transport and technical hub for Central Asia, South Caucasus and South East Asia which may be further strengthened by combining the BRI and CPEC for all future “endeavours” between the two sides.

Uzbekistan has now made a rapid progress in the development and successful implementation of a whole range of industry-specific growth, export-oriented policies, investment & business friendly structural reforms, corruption free governance and society, independent judiciary, transparency and development programs, which have actually revolutionized its economic prospects and business outlook.

It has outperformed all the regional economies in terms of GDP, GNP, job generation, foreign currency management, tourism, service sector and, above all, development of human capital.

Among all the Central Asian Republics Uzbekistan remains the most stable state with well developed capital and social infrastructure.

It is the world’s second largest cotton exporter and fifth largest producer. It also has gas reserves. It also has several operational oil fields.

So convergence and convenience of South Asia & Central Asia may be a beneficial proposition which may be further strengthened by combining the BRI & CPEC.

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## ghazi52

*Matiari-Lahore transmission line*

The 878km transmission link will stretch from Matiari to Lahore and will be capable of transmitting up to 4GW of electricity. After 25 years of operations, the ownership of the transmission line will be transferred to the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC), a power transmission company owned by the Pakistani government.

*Route details*

The 660kV HVDC transmission line will stretch from Matiari in the province of Sindh to the Nankana Sahib district near Lahore, Pakistan.

In the province of Sindh, the line passes through the districts of Matiari, Sanghar, Khairpur, Sukkur, and Ghotki for a total distance of approximately 315km.

In the province of Punjab, the line passes through the districts of Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Bahawal Nagar, Pak Pattan, Okara, Kasur, and Nankana for a total distance of approximately 551km.

More than 60% of the line route lies in desert areas in order to avoid settlement issues and conflicts associated with the securing of right-of-way.



*Matiari-Lahore transmission line design*

The Matiari-Lahore transmission link is a bi-pole HVDC line with two converter stations at Matiari and Lahore. The project also involves three repeater stations and two grounding electrode stations.

A total of 1898 self-supporting, uniformly spaced steel lattice towers are being installed, out of which approximately 681 towers are located in Sindh and the remaining in Punjab.

The Matiari converter station will be connected with multiple power stations being developed under the CPEC framework. The Lahore Converter station will connect to the new Lahore substation from where electricity will be transferred to the national grid.

Each converter station will have a valve hall equipped with thyristor valves, a control building, and an outdoor switchyard that houses the power transformers and harmonic filters.



*Power supply for the Matiari-Lahore transmission line*

The Matiari converter station will receive power supply from the Port Qasim power plant through a 185km-long 500kV AC transmission line and from the Hubco power plant through a 200km-long 500kV AC transmission line.

The Engro Thar coal power plant and the SSRL Thar Block-1 power plant will also be connected to the Matiari converter station through a 250km and a 275km AC transmission line respectively.


*Contractors involved*

China Electric Power Equipment and Technology (CET), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SGCC, is the main contractor and is executing the project through the special purpose Pak Matiari-Lahore Transmission Company.

SNC Lavalin, a Canadian engineering company, conducted the feasibility study for the project in 2013.

DECON International, a German engineering and consulting company, completed pile testing on pile foundations for the transmission project in April 2020.

King & Wood Mallesons (KWM), a multinational law firm headquartered in Hong Kong, acts as lead legal counsel to CET for the Matiari-Lahore transmission project.

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## ghazi52



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## khansaheeb

ghazi52 said:


> CPEC Projects
> 
> CPEC is an ongoing development mega project which aims to connect Gwadar Port of Pakistan to China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang, via a network of highways, railways, and pipelines. The economic corridor is considered central to China–Pakistan relations and will run about 2700 km from Gwadar to Kashgar.
> 
> China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and its connectivity with Central Asia, Middle East and Africa will help to shape the entire region. Overall construction costs are estimated at around $46 billion, with the entire project expected to be completed in several years.
> 
> The Corridor is an extension of China’s proposed 21st century Silk Road initiative. This is the biggest overseas investment by China announced so far and the corridor is expected to be operational within three years. The corridor will be a strategic game-changer in the region and would go a long way in making Pakistan a richer and stronger entity.
> 
> The CPEC projects, investment on the corridor will transform Pakistan into a regional economic hub. The corridor will be a confidence booster for investors and attract investment not only from China but from other parts of the world as well. Other than transportation infrastructure, the economic corridor will provide Pakistan with telecommunications and energy infrastructure.
> 
> The Ministry of Planning, Development & Reform (MPD&R) is the focal Ministry for this engagement whereas its counterpart in China is National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
> 
> http://www.pc.gov.pk/
> 
> *MAIN COMPONENTS OF CORRIDOR:*
> 
> 
> Gwadar ( including port and city and Gwadar region socio-economic development)
> Energy (Coal, Hydel, Wind, Solar, LNG, Transmission)
> Transport Infrastructure (Road, Rail, Aviation)
> Investment & Industrial Cooperation (Gwadar Free Zone and other industrial parks to be finalized)
> Any other area of interest mutually agreed
> The table given below summarizes the number of projects identified so far along with estimated cost under CPEC:
> 
> *Sector.........................................* *No. of Projects..............* *Estimated Cost (Million $)
> 
> 01* *Energy* .............................................*21.........................* *33,793
> 02* *Transport Infrastructure...................* *4...........................* *9,784
> 03* *Gwadar..............................................* *8...........................* *792.62
> 
> 
> 
> DIVERSE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES*
> 
> 
> Industrial Cooperation
> Financial Cooperation
> Agricultural Cooperation
> Tourism
> Educational linkage
> Human resource development
> Health Care
> People to people contact
> Increase in livelihood opportunities
> Enhance Security and stability of the region



What we need is a mega bazaar at Gwadar, the largest and grandest bazaar ever seen by humanity, selling everything from around Pakistan and the world, with buses, trains, Ocean liner ships and passenger planes bringing customers in. Let Timbuktu be dwarfed into history by this mega bazaar Let this be a duty free , tax free bazaar with a hotel megapolis where the the great continents join together for shopping.

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## ghazi52

*Thar will change Pakistan and Pakistan will change entire world, says Chinese CG*

Imtiaz Dharani
March 21, 2021 

 






A view of Engro Powergen Thar Limited's (EPTL) lignite coal power plant in Thar. ─ Photo courtesy SECMC Twitter



MITHI: Speakers at the second day of three-day ‘Colours of Thar’ festival on Saturday said that Thar was fast transforming and going to change Pakistan by generating coal-fired power to cater to electricity needs of the country.

The festival was organised by district administration in collaboration with Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC), Thar Foundation, Hubco, Sino Sindh Resources, Shanghai Electric and a number of other organisations.

The second day of the festival featured performance of different feats by bikers and bands of Pakistan Armed Forces and Rangers. Various stalls displaying handicrafts, embroidery and other cultural products of Thar were set up by Thardeep Rural Development Programme, Baanhn Beli, District Development Association, Sindh Education Foundation and different government departments.

Tharparkar Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Nawaz Soho told media persons during a visit of the stalls that the festival would go a long way in promoting rich culture, traditions, history and many hitherto unexplored aspects of the desert district.

“We have achieved our goal to present beautiful face of Thar by arranging this event in collaboration with coal mining companies and NGOs,” he said, adding that the concluding day would be organised in Naukot fort on Sunday evening.

Pakistan Peoples Party’s MPA Rana Hamir Singh said that such events were need of the hour as they helped promote beautiful aspects of Thar at a time when it was all set to change the fate of Pakistan for its huge natural resources.

On the first day of the festival on Friday, Chinese Consul General in Karachi Li Bijian addressed a big gathering and said that Thar had great investment potential. Thar would change Pakistan and Pakistan would surely change the entire world for its rich natural resources and hardworking and peaceful people, he said.

“Under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects we have successfully completed the first phase and now we are entering the second phase,” he said.

He said that mining and power projects in Thar had created thousands of jobs for local people. “Thar is a beautiful place and it has tremendous investment potential in all spheres. Let us work together to make Thar more beautiful and developed,” he said.

He said that Pakistan and China had always had strong bond of friendship which had further been strengthened by the CPEC projects. China wanted a prosperous, strong and stable Pakistan.

He said that coal reserves and power generation from this energy source would change the destiny of people of Thar.

Mohsin Babbar of Thar Foundation and SECMC said that earlier in the day the envoy visited Thar coal block II projects and witnessed Thar Foundation development schemes where he was briefed about inclusive development model at Thar coal projects.

He said that his organisation had collaborated with the district administration to project unique Thari culture and show people around Pakistan and beyond how the desert region was fast transforming and going to change the entire country.


_Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2021_

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## ghazi52

*CPEC projects progressing fast under current govt: Asad Umar*

The Minister termed the occasion as another manifestation of exceptional relation between Pakistan and China.


APP 04 Apr 2021

KARACHI: Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar on Sunday said the projects under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) were progressing with fast pace during the tenure of incumbent government.

The way government handled pandemic situation and made efforts to contain the spread of pandemic COVID-19, it would also continue working day and night for the success of the CPEC, he said while addressing the reception ceremony of first consignment, carrying equipment and machinery for Century Steel at Karachi Port, for setting up of a steel mill in Rashakai Special Economic Zone.
The Minister termed the occasion as 
another manifestation of exceptional relation between Pakistan and China.

Asad Umar said the CPEC was now entering into the most important second phase. The projects were now not limited to infrastructure only.

He informed that CRBC, a Chinese firm had entered into an agreement with Pakistan under CPEC to promote foreign investments for development and marketing in Rashakai Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

He said the work for the provision of basic necessities including electricity and others at Rashakai SEZ was underway at fast pace.

He said the Century Steel, a Chinese firm with the investment of US $ 240 million, would set up a steel mill in Rashakai SEZ which would produce about 1.5 million tons of steel.

The firm would also employ over 600 Pakistanis during construction phase while in second phase over 1000 people would be provided jobs.

Asad Umar said the bilateral relation of Pakistan and China was not new and whenever Pakistan needed a friend China was there.

Chinese Consul General in Karachi Li Bijian speaking on the occasion said due to the concerted efforts of the government of Pakistan, the economy of the country was strengthening and gaining momentum despite the negative effect of global pandemic, especially the construction sector had been witnessing faster growth and the demand for steel had increased.

Because of the brilliant efforts from both sides China and Pakistan, the first phase of the CPEC had completed, he said.

Li Bijian said, "We are quite confident to attract more and more investments in Rashakai SEZ".
The Consul General thanked the federal government particularly CPEC Authority Chairman for his support and efforts.

He said it was an honor for him to witness the reception of first consignment carrying equipment and machinery for Century Steel was only a beginning.

On the occasion, Chairman CPEC Authority Asim Saleem Bajwa, representatives of Century Steel, officers of KPT and other were present.

Meanwhile in his tweet, Asad Umar said the first industrial unit was being set up in the Rashakai SEZ in KP.

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## ghazi52

*CPEC projects will add 17,000 MW making Pakistan self-sufficient in energy.*

CPEC Authority Chairman Lt General (retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa on Saturday said clusters of tech institutes would be established around the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) being constructed under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The institutes would impart skill training to the youth as “preparing youth for jobs in CPEC projects is our top priority under (the) comprehensive plan,” Bajwa said in a tweet. “Gwadar Technical Institute to cater for new industry in free zone is coming up fast,” he added.

After completion of all the projects, Pakistan would not only become self-sufficient in the energy with addition of 17,000 MW electricity to the national grid, but would also be able to export it.

According to a CPEC Authority official, the mega project would move forward with more strength during the current year and the years ahead, which would further strengthen the bilateral relations between Pakistan and China .

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## ghazi52

CPEC: South Balochistan roads in focus. Basima-Khuzdar Road Progress60%. Hoshab-Awaran Road construction started. 
It will improve Gwadar’s connectivity with North. PM’s vision of uplifting remote areas especially South Balochistan being realized.

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## ghazi52

PM Imran Khan takes earth breaking of Phase 2 of 990 km Pak-China Fibre Optic along with three CPEC routes..

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## ghazi52

*CPEC: understanding the behemoth — facts and myth*


Once fully operationalised, BRI would provide a viable alternative to the present predatory economic system


Inam Ul Haque May 20, 2021





The writer is a retired major general and has an interest in International Relations and Political Sociology. He can be reached at tayyarinam@hotmail.com and tweets @20_Inam



A lot has been said about the One-Belt One-Road initiative (OBOR), or as the Chinese call it the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It attracts unwanted attention, as no superpower in human history has been able to undertake a project so enormous, that it covers most continents and two-thirds of the world, is inclusive of all major areas of modern economy, and is undertaken by a non-white, non-European power — the Peoples’ Republic of China (PRC).

With BRI, an ambitious signature foreign policy initiative by President Xi Jinping announced in 2013, China expects regional and global connectivity with and among some 126 countries and 29 international organisations (already on board), through a network of roads, highways, railways, pipelines, power plants, grids, fiber-optic and social welfare and poverty-alleviation projects.

The overall investment is a staggering over $1.3 trillion to establish six international corridors. The Initiative would ultimately cover over 65 countries, 60% of the world-population and 40% of the global GDP. The trade volume among China and the participating countries is already over $6 trillion, with the potential of adding $117 billion this year. Infrastructure improvement is likely to reduce the global trade costs and transportation time by an average of 2.2% and 2.5%, respectively.

Once fully operationalised, BRI would provide a viable alternative to the present predatory economic system. Therefore, BRI especially the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) — as its pilot programme — is subjected to intense criticism by the United States/West. This series of articles would dispassionately analyse the diverse aspects of the CPEC.

The MoU for the Long-Term Plan (LTP) under CPEC was signed in Islamabad by the then federal minister, planning development and reform, Professor Ahsan Iqbal (PML-N) and Mr Wang Xiaotao, vice chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), on November 21, 2017, although CPEC deliberations were underway since 2013-14.

As per official definition, CPEC is a “growth axis and a development belt” featuring a comprehensive transportation corridor and industrial cooperation. China-Pakistan is the ‘growth axis’, containing major collaborative projects of infrastructure construction, industrial development, economic and trade cooperation, social uplift and socio-economic development including people-to-people exchanges and cultural communications.

CPEC officially covers the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in western China, and the whole territory of Pakistan in a format comprising a ‘core zone’ and ‘radiation zone’. The corridor passes through key node cities including Kashghar (Kashi in Chinese), Atushi, Tumshuq, Shule, Shufu, Akto, Tashkurgan Tajik in China; and Gilgit, Peshawar, DI Khan, Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Quetta, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Karachi and Gwadar in Pakistan. Development of western China is pursuant to China’s longstanding policy, “Go West”, aimed at removing developmental disparities between coastal China in the east, and the under-developed mountainous China in the west.

Both China and Pakistan have agreed to the “1+4 cooperation mode” for CPEC with the corridor as the core, and Gwadar, energy, transport infrastructure and industrial cooperation as its four priorities. CPEC follows the ‘National Plans’ of both countries as per their respective Vision 2025. For China, CPEC is a POC (proof of concept) for BRI.

In its spatial layout, CPEC further devolves into “one belt, three axes and several passages”. The “one belt” contains the core zone composed of Kashgar, Tumshuq city, and Atushi city and Akto county in Kizilsu Kirghiz autonomous prefecture of Xinjiang, China and Islamabad, parts of Punjab, Sindh, K-P, Balochistan, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B). Its “three axes” horizontally run connecting Lahore and Peshawar, Sukkur and Quetta, and Karachi and Gwadar. The “several passages” refer to railways and highways connecting Islamabad to Karachi and Gwadar.

The five ‘key functional zones’ of CPEC, from north to south include the Xinjiang foreign economic zone; the northern border trade logistics and business corridor and ecological reserve; the eastern and central plain economic zone; the western logistics corridor and business zone; and the southern coastal logistics business zone.

CPEC is intended to greatly speed up “industrialisation and urbanization”, making Pakistan globally competitive and domestically prosperous. LTP matches up locational advantage of Pakistan with China’s economic and industrial potential.

LTP identifies some impediments to CPEC such as; global power adjustment to a rising China; weak industrial base/economy of southern Xinjiang; hard geography of Sino-Pakistan border areas (escalating costs); and demographic and economic disparities in Pakistan. The Indus River valley, though relatively developed, has “high population density and limited resource-carrying capacity”; whereas, western Pakistan is poorly developed and has harsh natural conditions. The corona pandemic is also another unforeseen impediment.

China’s vision, as alluded to, is to “further advance its western development strategy”. And to promote economic and social development, accelerating BRI construction, utilising China’s advantages in capital, technology, production capacity and engineering operations. China aims at the formation of a “new open economic system”.

From Pakistan’s standpoint, CPEC is to fully “harness the demographic and natural endowment of the country”, enhancing its industrial capacity through new industrial clusters in order to balance the “regional socio-economic development, enhancing people’s wellbeing, and promote domestic peace and stability”.
CPEC also has an international/regional vision, entailing the creation of a new “international logistics network and industrial layout, based on major transportation infrastructure”. It aims at elevating the “status of South Asian and Central Asian countries” through economic integration, trade growth, technological/economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. This vision welcomes inclusion of all left out countries like India in the CPEC.

In its initial formulation, CPEC’s declared timeline runs until 2030 with phasing of projects in short, medium and long-term with scope for later adjustments. In the short-term (2014-2020), CPEC was aimed at resource mobilisation, removing major bottlenecks to Pakistan’s economic (not identified in the MoU), social development and boosting economic growth in both countries.

In the mid-term (upto 2025), CPEC envisages completion of major construction and associated industrial systems, optimal utilisation of expected economic functions (improving peoples’ livelihood along CPEC) and removing economic/developmental disparities regionally, as per Vision 2025. In the long-term (upto 2030), CPEC’s goal is for South Asia growing into an international economic zone with global influence, having CPEC effectively integrated for economic growth in South/Central Asia.

Subsequent implementation and recalibration have sequenced projects into ‘Early Harvest’ projects (2015-2019) in the energy sector, adding up approximately 7,000 MW to the national grid by 2019, easing energy shortages and load shedding. By 2022, energy projects would add another 13,180 MW, lifting production and exports.

Similarly, short-term (upto 2022), projects include mainly infrastructure (roads), Gwadar development, fiber-optic network, hydel, coal-mining and power projects. Whereas, medium-term (upto 2025) include railways and the creation of industrial zones. The long-term projects (upto 2030) include completion of industrial zones, agriculture and tourism.

If one looks at the above agreed phasing, it is heartening to know that concurrent projects undertaken are generally ahead of timelines and phasing, despite the corona-induced complexities.

Next, we shall discuss the remaining aspects of CPEC, including the ill-founded and maleficent criticisms, to which this very vital project is subjected


_Published in The Express Tribune, May 20th, 2021._

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## ghazi52

*CPEC to be extended to Afghanistan, other countries: China*

Extension won’t only boost faster economic development in Pakistan but also regional connectivity, says spokesperson

APP 
May 24, 2021







Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian attends a news conference in Beijing, China . 

*BEIJING: *A Chinese foreign ministry’s spokesperson has appreciated Prime Minister Imran Khan’s remarks on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), saying Beijing is having discussions with third parties, including Afghanistan, on the extension of the flagship project.

“We have noted the relevant remarks by Prime Minister Imran Khan and we appreciate it,” Zhao Lijian said during his regular briefing while responding to a question on Premier Imran’s remarks about the CPEC.

While chairing a recent high-level huddle, the prime minister had said that the CPEC will bring economic progress not only to Pakistan but to the entire region.

The spokesperson said that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is an open and inclusive international economic cooperation initiative that is dedicated to improve connectivity and achieve common development.

“The CPEC, as pioneering projects of the Belt and Road Initiative, has made important and major progress in infrastructure, energy, ports and industrial parks,” he added.

In the meantime, he said, we are also extending it to regional countries, including Afghanistan. "This will not only boost faster economic development in Pakistan but also regional connectivity.”

Zhao Lijian also said that China would like to work with Pakistan for the high-quality development of the CPEC and extend it to regional countries, improve people’s well-being and play a bigger role in regional connectivity and economic integration.

To a specific question on third-party participation in the CPEC framework, he said that China is having discussions with third parties, including Afghanistan, on the extension of CPEC.

The two sides are having consultations through diplomatic channels, he said. “We notice that Afghanistan is importing and exporting goods through Gwadar and Karachi ports. High-speed highways are also being extended to Afghanistan.”

To yet another question, he dismissed the Indian claim that the CPEC is passing through a disputed territory, saying that China had said its principled position on Kashmir many times.

“The CPEC is an economic initiative that targets no third country. It is not about territorial disputes and does not affect our principled position on the issue of Kashmir.”

Responding to a question regarding Myanmar, the spokesperson said he was not aware of fighting between Myanmar military forces and opposition across the river from Ruili, close to China’s borders.

Zhao Lijian said that China’s position on the situation in Myanmar is consistent and clear. “We do not want to see any bloodshed and clashes or any injury to civilians.”

He asked the relevant sides to try their best to prevent the situation from spiralling out of control and said that China would continue to maintain communication with the relevant sides and try to bring the situation to a steady path at an early date.

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## ghazi52

*Govt approves new visa policy pertaining to CPEC projects*

by The Frontier Post


ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said the government has approved a new visa policy regarding China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects for Chinese nationals.

During a meeting with Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong here Thursday, the Interior Minister said the minimum period of new visas for Chinese nationals has been set at two years under the new policy.

According to a statement issued by the Interior Ministry, the Minister and the Chinese Ambassador discussed issues of mutual interest including Pakistan-China bilateral relations, CPEC projects, Pak-China bilateral cooperation agreements and visa facilitation for Chinese citizens.

The Minister expressed pleasure over the completion of 70 years of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China. On the occasion, the Minister said that the government has approved the new visa policy for Chinese citizens.

Sheikh Rashid said that Chinese nationals would now be issued two-year work visas within 48 hours from the respective missions, adding that a separate visa category has been created for Chinese citizens related to CPEC projects. Special desks are also being set up at airports to facilitate Chinese citizens.

The Chinese Ambassador said that he was grateful to the government of Pakistan for easing visa facilities for Chinese nationals, which would further enhance the relationship between the two countries, increase investment in CPEC related projects and create new job opportunities. The Interior Minister thanked the Chinese government for providing the coronavirus vaccine to Pakistan while the Ambassador commended the arrangements made by Pakistan to control the pandemic. Sheikh Rashid said that arrangements should be made for return of Pakistani students to China for study as they are facing risk of wasting precious academic year.

The Chinese Ambassador said that every possible effort would be made for return of Pakistani students as soon as possible. The Minister said that friendship between Pakistan and China is based on mutual trust and Pakistan is proud of its friendship which will be made stronger.

The Chinese Ambassador said that CPEC related projects were evidence of strong and old relationships between both the countries. He said, Pakistan is China’s Iron Brother and is proud of its bilateral relations.


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## ghazi52

During a news conference, the Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar has said the government has allocated PKR 87 billion for CPEC projects, under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP). 

As per details, PKR 1.1 billion have been allocated for Gwadar Airport, PKR 42 billion for Western Route, PKR 6.2 billion for Mainline-I, PKR 7 billion for provision of basic facilities and utilities for SEZs. Present at the occasion were media personnel, and top government officials include CPEC Authority Chairman Asim Saleem Bajwa who said the Industrial Cooperation Framework is under discussion while reforms in agriculture have been shared with China for enhancing cooperation.

Moreover, he also said that road network from Quetta to Gwadar is also complete, while a number of connectivity, infrastructural, and energy projects are underway.

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## ghazi52

*Pakistan is an emerging destination for investors: Ambassador Haque*
June 10, 2021

SOURCEurdupoint.com




*While attending a business forum organized by the Changsha High Tech Zone, Pakistan’s Ambassador Moin-ul-Haque highlighted that Pakistan’s favorable business environment will attract more Chinese enterprises, especially under the Special Economic Zones. *


Pakistan Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haq Wednesday said Pakistan‘s favorable business environment would attract more Chinese enterprises.

He said this while attending a business forum, organized by the Changsha High Tech Zone during his visit to Hunan Province of China. Ten leading local enterprises from diverse sectors such as; biotechnology, steel manufacturing, mining, home appliances, agriculture and services sector participated in the forum.

Addressing the forum, Ambassador Moin briefed the participating companies about Pakistan‘s economy which was projected to grow 4% this year despite Covid-19 pandemic.

He said Pakistan was an emerging destination for overseas investment, and invited them to benefit from the attractive investment friendly policies of the government.

The ambassador further briefed them about the Phase-II of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which envisaged development of Special Economic Zones in Pakistan with special incentives offered for relocation of industries from China.

The business enterprises from across China had expressed great interest in establishment of industrial units in Pakistan.

He thanked the Hunan based enterprises for their successful investments in Pakistan.

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## ghazi52

Budget 2021

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## ghazi52

*How China and Pakistan Negotiate*

KATHARINE ADENEY, FILIPPO BONI


MAY 24, 2021
*Summary: *Many observers view Pakistan as a test case for China’s assertive overseas expansion plans. But sometimes, it is Chinese players who have had to adapt to Islamabad’s realities.



*THE PORT OF GWADAR*

The project that best captures the combination of local agency and Chinese adaptation is the port of Gwadar in Balochistan, the jewel in the CPEC’s crown. To many Indian and U.S. policymakers, Gwadar epitomizes China’s military ambitions and expansionism. However, the development of the Gwadar Port is better understood as a Pakistani, not a Chinese, story. The project was first initiated by Pakistani elites who have long sought to build infrastructure that could help the country counterbalance its archrival, India—a cause to which China has been receptive over many years. Like other projects along the BRI’s routes, Gwadar, too, started much earlier than the advent of Xi’s signature initiative.

The first proposal to develop Gwadar as a port was put forward not by Beijing but by then Pakistani president General Pervez Musharraf during his first visit to China in January 2000. In fact, Beijing was skeptical of Musharraf’s proposal, since Gwadar was located in a remote area and was disconnected from the major transport routes that have been China’s focus. The general’s Chinese interlocuters also looked askance at the project due to its modest commercial prospects and its location in a region—Balochistan—with strong and long-standing separatist sentiments.29

China eventually came around, in part because the project was such a high priority for its Pakistani partners. By the time of his May 2001 visit to Pakistan, then Chinese premier Zhu Rongji announced that Beijing had decided to invest in the port, with the completion of the project’s first phase slated for 2006.30 Following the inauguration of the port in January 2007, however, six years of inaction followed during which operations were handed over to the Port of Singapore Authority, which failed to deliver on further development at the port site. As one interviewee noted, the Pakistani government “gave it to [the] wrong organization, the Singapore Port Authority. They were not able to deliver, they were not able to run it, [and] they were not able to keep their commitment.”31

After Pakistan’s return to democracy, the February 2008 elections culminated in the victory of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), and the new government was determined to develop economic ties with China and to see the project through. As such, Pakistan once again offered Gwadar to China when then prime minister Yousaf Reza Gilani visited Beijing in the immediate wake of the May 2011 U.S. raid that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad.32 Islamabad’s initial offer allegedly included developing a military base at Gwadar, or as then defense minister Chaudhary Ahmed Mukhtar announced, “We have asked our Chinese brothers to please build a naval base at Gwadar.”33 China, however, denied these claims. As the _New York Times_ put it, Mukhtar’s statement was seen by some “as a pointed, if graceless, effort to send a message to the United States that Pakistan had other options should its foundering relationship with Washington prove beyond repair” after bin Laden was killed on Pakistani soil.34 Since then, both China and Pakistan have downplayed the military development of Gwadar.

In February 2013, the China Overseas Port Holding Company officially took over the management of the port. Even though this happened during the tenure of the PPP government, the importance of Gwadar to every Pakistani government, regardless of political persuasion, has remained a constant for more than twenty years.35 The relevance of the port for Pakistan relates to several factors, including the country’s rivalry with India and the potential to use Gwadar for trade through Afghanistan and Central Asia. The port has been and is a regular topic of discussion at the JCC meetings, with Beijing acceding to various Pakistani construction requests.

Thus, during the first JCC meeting in 2013, the chairman of Pakistan’s National Highway Authority—the agency tasked with the implementation of road projects under the CPEC—suggested that upgrading “the Makran Coastal Highway to link Karachi with Gwadar” should be a key priority.36 In his own concluding remarks at the same meeting, the vice chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission argued for “giving priority” to projects that would support a plan for “Gwadar port’s sustainable development.”37 (Beijing has placed a recurring emphasis on sustainable development, a point to which this paper will return.) As evidence of the importance Chinese actors placed on _Pakistan’s_ requests, the two sides agreed at the third JCC meeting on August 27, 2014, to sign a government-to-government framework agreement, which included the Eastbay Expressway linking Gwadar to Karachi through the Makran Coast.38

To be sure, some of the prioritized projects, including the Eastbay Expressway, aimed to address Beijing’s original concerns about the lack of connectivity around the port and its geographic isolation from Pakistan’s transport networks (see photo 2). To put it differently, Beijing has not simply accepted Pakistani requests that lacked any underlying commercial or logistical logic. In addition, the Eastbay Expressway was financed by an _interest-free_ Chinese government loan.39 This arrangement was in sharp contrast to the concessional loans and independent power producer plans that financed other early harvest CPEC projects.40 This reflected China’s desire to both meet Pakistani demands and pursue its own strategic considerations to develop what Chinese analysts consider a “strategic strongpoint” in the Indian Ocean.41

In summary, the first phase of the CPEC (2013–2017) is a potent example of negotiated outcomes between Pakistan’s evolving preferences and China’s own adaptive goals and priorities. The way the CPEC route was the result of the PML-N’s and China’s goals, the prioritization of coal projects in line with Pakistan’s requests, and developments at the port of Gwadar (especially about building road links with Pakistan’s highway network) all demonstrate this point.









How China and Pakistan Negotiate


Many observers view Pakistan as a test case for China’s assertive overseas expansion plans. But sometimes, it is Chinese players who have had to adapt to Islamabad’s realities.




carnegieendowment.org

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## ghazi52

Continued from #49



*ENERGY PROJECTS*

The CPEC’s strong early focus on energy generation sprung primarily from Pakistan’s own domestic political priorities. Energy came to be the very heart of the CPEC’s initial phase largely because of a dramatic energy crisis that was affecting the lives and livelihoods of Pakistanis, the country’s macroeconomy, and (as a result) the electoral prospects of those in power.

The promise to solve the “energy crisis” was a key electoral manifesto commitment of the PML-N’s 2013 campaign. As Punjab’s chief economist explained, “energy was the pre-requisite” to everything the PML-N hoped to achieve both developmentally and electorally.

The fact that Pakistan pushed its energy priorities onto Beijing rather than the other way around is demonstrated by the minutes of the first JCC meeting in August 2013. The Pakistani side “shared [that] the energy sector is the most important and critical sector and without its revival, economic activities cannot be re-generated in the country.

” In the same meeting the vice chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission agreed to take cues from Pakistan by “affirm[ing] that the projects . . . identified by the [Pakistani] Minister [would] . . . be the basis for future bilateral cooperation under the corridor.

.” However, Chinese officials warned that both sides would need to ensure the high efficiency of projects to maximize their benefits when making specific investment decisions within that Pakistan-set prioritization framework.

Within the energy sector, coal would play a key role (see table 1). The Pakistani authorities clearly dictated this priority, and their Chinese counterparts adapted accordingly. For instance, the National Power Policy 2013, one of the very first policy documents approved by the newly elected PML-N government in July 2013, called for the exploration of a “coal corridor.







This plan was made to generate cheaper electricity and to diversify the country’s energy sources with the goal of reducing its overreliance on oil. Accordingly, 47 percent (eight out of seventeen) of the prioritized energy projects under the CPEC between 2013 and 2021 were for coal-fired power plants. These projects accounted for 65 percent of the projected megawatts of power that CPEC sites would produce, a potent reminder of the centrality that the Pakistani government attached to the role of coal.

Pakistani leaders were not only steering the types of projects that received investment but were also asking Chinese firms to speed up the construction of various projects. The Pakistani government put pressure on the Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina), the state-owned enterprise (SOE) that holds a 51 percent stake in the project, to rapidly develop the Port Qasim coal-fired plant so it would be ready ahead of the 2018 elections.

The power plant was eventually connected to the country’s electrical grid in just thirty-two months, and the Port Qasim coal power plant began commercial operations sixty-seven days ahead of schedule and ahead of the July 2018 elections. In brief, the power generation projects that dominated the first phase of the CPEC were the result of Chinese accommodations of Pakistani political and economic priorities.

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## ghazi52

Continued from #50


*THE RISE OF SEZS*

One notable element of the CPEC since 2018 has been a renewed emphasis on SEZs. These entities have been introduced in many countries, despite skepticism from the World Bank and others about whether they improve economic development more than the national average. It is important to note that the creation of SEZs was already mentioned even before the 2018 election in the _Long-Term Plan for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (2017-2030_), which was agreed on under the previous PML-N government, as a major second-phase priority for the CPEC. Even before the PTI took power, therefore, Pakistan viewed the zones as a means of enabling “industries to smooth supply chains, enhance collaboration and innovation capabilities, and help reap significant economies of scale.”

From Beijing’s perspective, meanwhile, access to Pakistan through SEZs would have the secondary benefit of allowing Chinese investors to re-export “because [of] “Pakistan’s GSP+ access to the EU.”66 In addition, investing in SEZs would enable China to take advantage of Pakistan’s cheaper labor costs and relocate some of its “sunset industries” to Pakistan, as its own industries back in China moved up the value chain (although it is important to stress that Pakistan was not the only possible relocation candidate for these Chinese firms).

At the 2016 JCC meeting, Pakistan (under the PML-N government) and China agreed to nine new SEZs.68 In keeping with the rhetorical commitment to a whole-of-Pakistan CPEC narrative, these SEZs initially were spread across the country more widely than those first adopted in 2012. The federal government proposed “industrial parks in all four provinces,” with just one of the SEZs located in Sharif’s home province of Punjab along with two in Sindh, one in Balochistan, and one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; they also proposed that SEZs also be located in the administrative territories of the Islamabad Capital Territory (one), Gilgit Baltistan (one), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (one), and the (former) Federally Administered Tribal Areas (one).

The minutes of the December 2016 JCC meeting recorded the “priority list of locations of special economic zones shared by the Pakistani side.” Although the minutes noted that “experts on industrial zones from China shall visit Pakistan in early 2017 to advise the Pakistani side on the most suitable locations,” it was Pakistan, not China, that pushed for these particular locations.

However, at the seventh JCC meeting in November 2017, differences emerged as to which SEZ sites should be prioritized. Beijing wanted the Thatta (Dhabeji) site (in Sindh), the Hattar site (in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), and the M3 Faisalabad site (in Punjab) to be prioritized, while Pakistan strongly advocated moving ahead on the Rashakai site (in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and the Sheikhupura zone (in Punjab)—the latter for parochial political reasons related to the PML-N’s Punjab heartland.

Meanwhile, China’s preferences reflected an interest in quick wins. As Hasaan Khawar, a journalist at the _Express Tribune_ has noted, despite a common misperception, the Chinese never requested . . . [that] Pakistan [offer] exclusive industrial enclaves under [the] CPEC. Their preference for [the] M3 and Hattar industrial estates, with a number of pre-existing industries, makes this evident. No decision was reached on the location of the SEZs at this meeting.


At the eighth JCC meeting in December 2018, the first meeting after the PTI came to power, Chinese officials finally accepted that Rashakai would be one of the three SEZs prioritized as “key projects. Chinese actors accepted this outcome even though the feasibility studies provided to the sixth JCC meeting had ranked Rashakai lower than Dhabeji (in Sindh), Hattar (in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), or Faisalabad (in Punjab), and even though the existing economic zone at Rashakai had been described as a failure by analysts. As Small has argued, at the eighth JCC meeting, the Chinese participants were concerned that “there was a respectable public narrative around [the] CPEC in place for the second Belt and Road Forum.”

Nonetheless, Khan was determined to focus Chinese attention on this zone, located 70 kilometers from Peshawar, for partisan political reasons.81 The provincial government in power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, led by Khan’s party (Tehreek-e-Insaf), was a strong advocate for the SEZ’s adoption as it was located in the constituency of the chief minister.

Although Pakistan accepted China’s preferred sites of Dhabedi and Faisalabad at this meeting, the shift from Sheikhupura to Faisalabad was occasioned by _Pakistani_ political changes. After the change in political power in Punjab from the PML-N to the PTI, feasibility studies on an SEZ at Sheikhupura revealed “some serious issues. The new government realized that “more than 200,000 resided in the area and the land was privately owned” so it could not simply be allocated to the SEZ. As such, this siting modification was the result of the shift in power in Punjab’s provincial government from the PML-N to the PTI, not shifting Chinese preferences. See table 2 for a full listing of the key prioritized SEZs.






Of the nine SEZs on the CPEC’s priority list in 2016, three were accepted as elevated priorities at the 2018 JCC meeting: Rashakai in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dhabeji in Sindh, and Faisalabad in Punjab. All three were the preferred options of the Khan government. China’s preference for the Hattar industrial park as the more viable and efficient option was eventually abandoned, and the Rashakai project, adopted for political rather than economic reasons, was accepted instead. This is a clear example of how an economically inefficient project was driven by Pakistani domestic political concerns, a development that runs counter to the common narrative that China is typically the one distorting market forces.

The discourse on the development of the SEZs has been related to economic cooperation, skills training, and employment. However, it is extremely difficult to independently verify the claims made about employment levels in and nearby the SEZs. For instance, in January 2020, the Faisalabad Industrial Development and Management Company (a company established by the provincial government that develops and upgrades industrial estates) claimed that the Faisalabad SEZ “will absorb more than 400,000 skilled workers in four years” and provide training centers for workers within the SEZ.The government-funded CPEC Centre for Excellence estimated in 2018 that 1.2 million jobs would be created by 2030. A similar narrative was echoed in December 2020 by Chinese Consul General Li Bijian, who argued that “investment would bring development and jobs for [the] local population and also . . . will improve civic facilities. With industries, locals will increase their incomes and would have better services.

Many experts question these projections, however. As Zahra Beg, representing a widespread view among analysts, put it, “Locals, if hired, are in lower positions, often suffering major salary discrepancies. Interviewed at the end of 2020, the journalist Khawar said that the situation has remained much the same: “[The] Chinese say they can’t find high-tech or specialized labor in Pakistan. So wherever they can’t find local labor, they bring in Chinese [workers]. He was optimistic, however, that with time this would change. A senior political appointee in Lahore agreed that if a project needs to be completed quickly, Chinese labor tends to be used, but in the long term he believed that there would be a shift to Pakistani labor. However, no reasons were given to support this assertion.

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## ghazi52

*GWADAR*

In contrast to the slow progress on SEZs, a different model has been underway in Gwadar (see photo 3). After the China Overseas Ports Holding Company took over the management of the port, the company “leased over 650 acres of land . . . to build and operate” a Free Trade Zone. Unlike the SEZs, the free trade zone operates as “a free port . . . similar to [how] Hong Kong [operates].” China receives 91 percent of the profits from the port, which it will run for forty years under a “build-operate and transfer model [sic].






China has invested billions to meet long-standing Pakistani requests to help turn the port of Gwadar into a regional hub for trade.

Projects in Gwadar featured prominently in the JCC meetings, particularly at the fourth JCC meeting in March 2015. What is striking about the minutes from that meeting is the stress placed on the “Social Sector Development of Gwadar Region” with statements such as the “JCC also appreciated the progress on social sector projects. 

Both sides were keen to ensure the success of the project, and the inclusion of so many prominent social sector projects was important for the public image of the CPEC in Balochistan, a marginalized province with multiple insurgent groups. As Small notes, Chinese workers had been attacked in Gwadar before, notably in 2004 and 2007.

In October 2019, shortly before Khan visited China, generous tax exemptions were granted to investors in Gwadar including for income tax, sales tax, and federal exercise duties. Although the Pakistani government’s concession of these exemptions met long-standing Chinese demands, they also reflected the strategic importance of the port for the Pakistan Navy. It is no accident that the decision to grant these exemptions was made by the National Development Council, which is chaired by the prime minister but crucially includes the chief of army staff, reflecting the changed balance of power in Pakistan.

The granting of these exemptions stood in stark contrast to the lack of concessions over the payment of income tax for investors in the SEZs, one of China’s concerns, as discussed above. Developments at the Gwadar free trade zone look more promising _on paper_ than those of the SEZs. Recently, the chair of the China Overseas Port Holding Company, Zhang Baozhong, has claimed that “43 Chinese companies are going to invest while 200 more firms have been registered for the purpose. However, it remains to be seen how much investment actually materializes from these expressions of interest.

China also has a strategic goal at stake in the development of the Gwadar Port, and most of the funding for projects in Gwadar “comes in the form of grants and interest free loans. However, it is striking that, in contrast to the SEZs, several of the Gwadar projects publicized in the early harvest phase of the CPEC were designed to appease local communities in the province and in the surrounding area. These included the Pak China Friendship Hospital, the Pak-China Technical and Vocational Institute, the Gwadar Livelihood Project, and the establishment of Gwadar University. Other projects such as a desalination initiative also benefit the immediate area.

The Gwadar Livelihood Project was of particular importance as it involved the Chinese holding company overseeing the port taking “effective measures for social sector development” and the “pgradation and development of fishing, boat making and maintenance services to protect and promote livelihoods of [the] local population. 

Scholar Frederic Grare, writing in 2018, suggested that these measures were designed to appease the local population and decrease the security challenges of the project. Grare wrote, “Interestingly, the Chinese authorities seemed to understand the problem better than their Pakistani counterparts: they built a school, sent doctors and promised some $500 million for the construction of a hospital, a college, and various infrastructure projects to supply the city with drinking water.

Yet, despite the commitment of the PTI government to socioeconomic development, many of these projects to win over local residents were removed from the 2018–2019 PSDP. In November 2019, both the Gwadar Livelihood Project and the Development of Gwadar University were removed from the Gwadar project pages of the CPEC website.

Even before the removal of the Livelihood Project from the CPEC website, local fishermen had expressed their concerns that their livelihoods were being adversely affected by the CPEC and that the Pakistani government had not kept its development promises to them. Despite a promise from Pakistani officials that “CPEC projects and education schemes would not be dropped . . . at least four projects of [the] CPEC and one dozen schemes of Gwadar [were] dropped from the PSDP.

Although conditions of austerity partly explain the decision to drop these projects, Khan’s concern about the CPEC is also part of the explanation. Despite being the Pakistani province with the largest territorial area, its small population (6 percent of the country’s total) has meant that successive Pakistani governments have failed to invest in Balochistan since it holds fewer seats in the National Assembly than any other province.

The fishing sector represents an important part of Gwadar’s development because of its commercial potential. The port’s fishing community has been expressing concerns about being displaced from their traditional fishing grounds due to the construction of CPEC projects such as the Eastbay Expressway for several years. More recently however, their entire livelihood has come under threat as a result of developments related to the CPEC.

In October 2020, Pakistani fishermen in Sindh and Balochistan protested against the arrival of Chinese trawlers that would fish in the exclusive economic zones of Sindh and Punjab. According to one news account, the “president of the Gwadar Fishermen Alliance [argued that] the Chinese ships will badly hurt local fishermen . . . Fishing in the sea is a source of livelihood for over 2.5 million people . . . and the new trawlers will deprive us of our livelihood The locals are extremely worried about fishing stocks being depleted. As one reporter noted, an adviser on marine fisheries for World Wildlife Fund-Pakistan named Moazzam Khan said “Chinese fishermen are eager to fish in Pakistan_ waters as they can sell the catch back home duty-free.

Responding to this latest wave of concerns over the future of fishing in Gwadar, the Chinese consul general countered that China was providing assistance to local fishermen in the form of “engines, solar panels and fishing nets . . . to help increase their fishing capacity. The Chinese government also has encouraged them to “seek [the Pakistani] federal and provincial government’s help in developing more fishing cultures to boost their future fishing capacity. The latter is seen as a precondition to establish processing factories and storage plants that would enable Pakistani seafood to be exported. 

The Gwadar free trade zone does include a “fishery processing centre. However, while a 2013 World Bank report noted that there was an urgent need for processing facilities closer to the sea, these latest developments suggest that the local Pakistani fishing community will not be the ones to benefit.

Overall, it is clear that China is keen to be seen as responsive to the local population’s concerns in Gwadar, perhaps more so than the current PTI government. China has a clear interest in minimizing the security challenges to the project. In this respect, Chinese actors face an uphill struggle, not least because of the province’s long history of economic deprivation and marginalization. In addition, whether local communities are able to benefit from a more industrialized economy is open to question, given the low level of skills development in the province.

Recently, progress does appear to have been made on completing the Technical and Vocational Institute, a project that “aims to produce skilled manpower in different areas to [allow the local population to] take maximum advantage of CPEC linked opportunities. There will be concerns from locals that Pakistanis from other provinces will take advantage of these opportunities, and, as with the development of the free trade zone and the fishing processing center, benefits will not necessarily accrue to the local areas around Gwadar. In addition, the tension between securing the buy-in of local communities and the need to increase security is likely to remain, as was revealed in December 2020 by attempts, allegedly “at the behest of” Chinese actors according to some media accounts, to physically fence off parts of Gwadar.










How China and Pakistan Negotiate


Many observers view Pakistan as a test case for China’s assertive overseas expansion plans. But sometimes, it is Chinese players who have had to adapt to Islamabad’s realities.




carnegieendowment.org




_

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## ghazi52

*CPEC generating employment, despite ongoing pandemic*


June 26, 2021
SOURCEnation.com.pk

Yasir Habib Khan, a columnist writes that in none of the CPEC projects has any employee ever been laid off, whereas globally unemployment has risen considerably. He labels this as a testament of Pakistan-China iron-clad friendship. He writes that CPEC projects offer a variety of employment opportunities to Pakistani labor force as it has already created 75,000 jobs for high-skilled to medium-skilled workforce. He says that this phenomena is unseen globally and adds uniqueness to this bilateral relationship.

In another shining example of the unflinching 70-year-Pak-China relations, CPEC has never dismissed, laid-off and shrunk employability to any Pakistani employee since its genesis to date. Contrary to others, CPEC also stands tall, untainted with practices of forced termination to employees. Even during over one year’s Covid-19 economic contractions when big companies got compelled to axe jobs, CPEC did not relieve Pakistani employees from their employment.

CPEC projects offered a variety of jobs to the Pakistani labour force. As per contractual periods, many completed their job terms. After their service periods came to end, they left but with professional advantage. Having worked with Chinese experts and technicians, their job experiences helped them to get familiar with modern skilled specifications. Their new professional competitiveness facilitated them to secure more lucrative jobs in Pakistan and even foreign job markets.

CPEC began in 2015. It created more than direct 75000 jobs of various categories from high-skilled and medium-skilled to blue-collar workers. Generating thousands of indirect jobs from allied industries is another windfall. It is an iconic feature of Pak-China affinity spanning over seven decades that CPEC’s employability status never takes a hit despite countless untowardness. This phenomenon, in the current history, is unique and unseen globally.

In the course of CPEC phase I and ongoing phase II, all Pakistanis who have been awarded jobs are enjoying 100 percent job security throughout 2015 to 2021 with peace of mind. During the period of contract, no Pakistani employee has ever witnessed forced termination. They say goodbye to their jobs with grace after their contractual period expires.

As CPEC’s job security momentum has achieved milestone resilience, its future job landscape for Pakistani employees is completely stable and steady.

The CPEC employment bonanza might be one of the biggest marvels of the Pak-China friendship. In a scenario when Covid-19 had compelled at least every private sector to render many people jobless due to financial losses and economic downswing, thousands of people working on CPEC projects remained unhurt. They have been continuing their job status up and running without any future threats and risks.

According to the data recently released by the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, CPEC created 75000 jobs. With no workforce withdrawal, a total of 46 CPEC projects are under construction or have been completed, and the corridor has brought 25.4 billion US dollars in foreign direct investment to Pakistan.

Beyond this, experts believe that CPEC has also created more than 200,000 indirect jobs for the Pakistani people, with its per capita income increased by 23 percent. More than 100 small and medium-sized enterprises have participated in the construction of CPEC, providing hundreds of thousands of jobs. CPEC is expected to create 2.3 million jobs between 2015 and 2030.

Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong, speaking at an online awarding ceremony for outstanding Pakistani staff of CPEC projects in December 2020 had clearly said that there was no stop of the construction, no job cut, and no withdrawal of workforce of the CPEC projects.

The unemployment rate increased by 34.1 percent in Pakistan, said a study conducted by the Mahbub ul Haq Research Centre at LUMS titled COVID-19 Pandemic’s Economic Burden in Pakistan, which took data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics’ Special Survey for Evaluating the Socio-Economic Impact of COVID-19. The Ministry of Planning has also estimated that 12.3 million to 18.5 million people in the country could lose their jobs.

A recent survey by Gallup Pakistan reveals that more than seventeen million people could become unemployed in the future amid the COVID-19 crisis. Economist Hiraj Malhi said that though CPEC did not inflict job-cuts on Pakistani workforce but its global critics took a massive hit. Employment layoff took a heavy toll on the job markets of developed countries, he added.

“In United States, the unemployment rate remained 6.0 percent, the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) said in its monthly report, released April 2, 2021. Unemployment Rate in European Union decreased to 7.30 percent in March from 7.40 percent in February of 2021. Meanwhile in the UK, the unemployment rate was 4.8 percent, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS),” he added.

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## ghazi52

*Contribution of Pakistani entrepreneurs in CPEC*







https://nation.com.pk/contributor/khawar-abbas-sandhu
*Khawar Abbas Sandhu*
June 30, 2021


There are faces in Pakistan who are doing their best in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, with their dedication and hard work and China has labelled them as role models. They are working on various projects under CPEC.

Asadullah Larik is an interpreter for a coal-fired power station in the Thar Coalfield under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He is not only a fluent Chinese and English speaker, but also a model worker and a considerate helper, according to China Economic Net’s report.
Asadullah is proud to be part of a CPEC project. 

Driven by passion and a sense of mission, he aspires to do his best. Whenever he encountered any unfamiliar technical term during interpretation, he would figure it out by consulting experts or books and kept it in his notebook so that he could deliver accurate interpretation. In his spare time, he often took online lectures to broaden his knowledge and horizon.

As an interpreter by profession, Asadullah not only conveyed the instructions on the project, but also took initiative to supervise the tasks involved to ensure timely completion.

Asadullah’s care for others extended beyond the workplace. When a co-worker needed to have his phone repaired, he volunteered to reach out to his local friends for help. When a staff member of the project division was about to celebrate his birthday, he arranged a surprise followed by a birthday cake and exquisite presents.

He also offered to interpret for Chinese colleagues in daily scenarios, such as hospitals when necessary. He even learned several Chinese dialects during his association with his Chinese peers. 

After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asadullah took on another role: anti-pandemic inspector. Each day he collected data of the workers’ body temperature, checked incoming vehicles, and assisted in nucleic acid testing and antibody kit testing at the entrance of the construction site.

“He adopts a conscientious and proactive attitude towards work. And he is always ready to lend a helping hand to fellow workers in need”, acclaimed his colleagues.

Asadullah has graduated from Yangtze University in China. Now he is furthering his academic studies at another university.

The coal-power-integrated project of the first block of Thar Coalfield is a key CPEC project under the "Belt and Road" initiative. It is also essential for Pakistan’s South-North Power Transmission. Designed to be put into commercial operation in 2022, it will alleviate the country’s electricity shortage, reduce the cost of power generation, and save the cost of fuel import.

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## ghazi52

*CPEC incorporates 6 projects from KP*

July 14, 2021


PESHAWAR: The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority has included 6 key projects of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the upcoming meeting of Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of CPEC.

However, the KP government has sent a request to the chairman of CPEC Authority to include nine additional projects in the CPEC portfolio. The much-awaited meeting of the JCC has been convened on Friday (July 16) in which the projects will be formally approved. The JCC meeting will be held after a gap of one and a half years, the last JCC meeting was held in November 2019.

While expressing his satisfaction over the meeting of the JCC of CPEC, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Mehmood Khan said that in the past KP was ignored in CEPC projects, other provinces were given more projects but this time KP government has made all preparations. “Although six projects of KP have been included in the agenda but we have requested an additional nine projects to be included in the portfolio,” the CM said.

“The feasibility of almost all the projects has been completed. The construction of roads would provide better transport facilities to the people of the province. DIK Motorway and Dir Expressway have already been approved by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP)”, he said

Mahmood Khan said the mega projects would provide better transportation facilities for the people and help in the province’s sustainable development. The Chashma Right Bank Canal is a 40-year-old project that will revolutionise the southern districts and make the province self-sufficient in wheat.

He said China is a time-tested friend of Pakistan and CPEC is a great example of Pak-China friendship. The flagship project of CPEC Rasakai Special Economic Zone (SEZ) would boost industrial activities and create employment opportunities in the province.

According to data available with this scribe, the four road infrastructures, one industrial zone, and one education project have already been included in the portfolio. PTI flagship project Rasakai SEZ has been placed at the top of the agenda which has already been inaugurated by the prime minister.

Rasakai SEZ will boost industrial activities and create employment opportunities in the province. The second project is the 214km CPEC western route Gilgit, Shandur-Chitral-Chakdara-M1. This will further improve the road connectivity between Pakistan and China.

Similarly, two other road infrastructure projects included in the upcoming JCC are 30km Dir-Chakdara Motorway and Mirpur-Muzaffarabad-Mansehra road.

Another important transport infrastructure project is Peshawar-DI Khan Motorway, also known as the Western Route of CPEC. Pak-Austria Fachhochschule Institute at Haripur is also a part of Friday’s JCC meeting.

The KP government has requested the CPEC Authority chairman to include at least nine additional projects.

*These projects include.........................*

the construction of a 500KV transmission line 225km Chitral to Chakdara with 2 grid stations, Swat Expressway from Chakdara to Fatehpur Phase II,
Chashma Right Bank Canal (CRBC),
Darband Special Economic Zone DI Khan (as a replacement to Mohmand Marble city),
Toren More Kari HPP,
Jameshil Toren More HPP,
Tank Zam Dam, Kumrat Cable Car,
and construction/blacktopping/widening/improvement of Mastuj Broghal Pass road, District Upper Chitral.

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## ghazi52

*Cabinet committee on CPEC reviews progres on various projects*

August 13, 2021







During a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on CPEC (CCoCPEC) held under the Chairmanship of Federal Minister for Planning development and special initiatives Asad Umar, the progress on various projects related to Industrial Cooperation, Energy, Infrastructure and Gwadar Port Marketing Plan was reviewed. 

The committee approved the summary presented by Power Division for the acceleration of power supply to Gwadar and allowed NTDC to change its executing agency to expedite the work and to ensure that the project gets completed by March 2023. Moreover, the committee also gave go-ahead to Power Division for exploring options for import of additional power supply from Iran. The Chairperson of the Committee directed that dedicated power supply for Gwadar Industrial Zone must be ensured.

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## ghazi52

*CPEC enhancing trade, economic development of Pakistan: Spokesperson Wang Wenbin*

September 9, 2021






The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) being an important priority project in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has strongly promoted economic and social development in Pakistan and also played an active role in regional connectivity.

This was stated by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin in a press briefing on Tuesday, saying: “The CPEC is an important priority project in BRI. Since inception, it has made progress in many areas including energy.”

He emphasised that the BRI started from China but its opportunities and outcomes benefited the whole world.

“So far, there are 140 partner countries that have signed cooperative documents and BRI has already become the largest international cooperation platform benefiting the largest scale in the world,” he added.

The spokesperson said that China is ready to work with different countries including Pakistan to build high quality BRI to deliver more benefits and share more dividends.

The first CPEC project in the power evacuation and transmission sector, the 660kV High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Matiari-Lahore transmission line, started commercial operations on Wednesday last on its scheduled date.

The flagship HVDC line project achieved its commercial operation date (COD) successfully as per the timeline agreed between the NTDC and Pak Matiari-Lahore Transmission Line Company (PMLTC). Prior to its COD, eight power tests on different voltage levels were performed successfully.

The 878-kilometre 4,000MW project has been completed by PMLTC (Pvt) Limited on Build-Own-Operate-Transfer basis for 25 years.

The project will evacuate power from the new generating units located in the south, including Thar coal projects. —TLTP

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## ghazi52

*Chinese investors to take advantage of investment friendly policies under CPEC*

September 12, 2021

NANNING: Pakistan Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque on Saturday invited the leading Chinese entrepreneurs to come and take advantage of a conducive and investment-friendly environment and a number of incentives offered by the government in Pakistan.

“A number of ongoing and planned projects being completed under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) provide tremendous investment opportunities for the Chinese companies,” he made these remarks while addressing the participants of the China-Pakistan Trade and Business Forum held on the sidelines of China-ASEAN Expo being held in Nanning, China’s Guangxi Region.

Ambassador Haque said that China is the largest source of foreign direct investment and the multi-billion dollar CPEC, a flagship project of Belt and Road Initiative is moving smoothly and transforming the socio-economic landscape of Pakistan. “After the up-gradation of infrastructure, transportation, and energy project during the first phase of the CPEC, our focus is now on the industrialization, science and technology, socio-economic development and poverty alleviation, etc,” he added.

There are vast investment opportunities in the special economic zones being developed under the CPEC, out of which three have already been developed. Ambassador Haque said that the present government has decided to shift its focus to geo-economics making Pakistan a hub of economic activities and regional connectivity.

Sharing certain unique aspects about Pakistan, he said that Pakistan’s geographical location, growth potential, and conducive policies offered by the government make it an attractive destination for the overseas investment, especially for Chinese enterprises. He said that Pakistan shares borders with China and the country is at the crossroads of South Asian, Central Asian and Western nations, and has the potential to act as bridge.

Pakistan has 220 million people, fast-growing middle class and 60% of its young population offers good prospects.
Pakistan is rich in natural resources such as gold, marble, gemstones, copper, chromite, gold, and vast and it has also untapped reservoirs of oil and gas.

Ambassador Haque informed the businessmen that Pakistan has a strong agricultural base and fertile land and is among the top 10 countries particularly in the production of cotton, sugar cane, rice, and wheat.

With investments from China in the agriculture sector, it can become a very important source of food supplier to the Chinese market.

He said that the present government offers very attractive and liberalized policies for foreign investors and also allows them to export their goods to other countries as well. About the business and investment forum, he said that it has been organized as part of the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China. Ambassador Haque also expressed gratitude to the Chinese side for inviting Pakistan as a special partner country to the China-ASEAN Expo for the second time.

He said that Pakistan Pavilion set up in the exhibition area of the expo would lead to further expand trade and business cooperation between Pakistan, China and other ASEAN countries. Regarding Pakistan- China trade, he said that it has register rapid growth. Today, China is Pakistan’s largest trading partner. Last year, with the launch of the second phase of the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement, various goods from the two countries have access to each other’s market.

In the first half of this year, Pakistan’s exports to China increased by 88%, while our bilateral trade with Gunagxi region increased by 50% as compared to last year, and exports to Guangxi also increased by 350 percent, he added. Speaking on the occasion, Vice Governor of Guangxi Autonomous Region, Liu Hongwu said that Pakistan and China have long history of relations and friendship.

Both countries helped each other in the time of need. He said that high-quality China Pakistan Economic Corridor is a unique example of economic cooperation between the two countries.

The vice governor offered cooperation in field of agriculture, science and technology, education, and people-to-people exchanges. He expressed the confidence that China-ASEAN Expo would provide more opportunities to Pakistan enterprises to enter into Chinese and ASEAN countries markets. Vice-Minister of Commerce of China, Ren Hongbin said that the friendship between Pakistan and China is time-tested and has been growing with the passage of time.

He mentioned Pakistan’s support to China in different times and said Pakistan recognized the new China in early years and helped China during natural calamities particularly the earthquakes. China is the largest trading partner of Pakisan and has made investment in Pakistan’s different mega projects such as Gwadar Port, Peshawar-Karachi Motorway, Orange Line and Karakuram Highway project etc which have injected a new impetus to relationship between the two countries.

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Nong Rong sent a video message to the forum and hoped that Chinese enterpirse would make a good use of the CAEXPO platform and strengthen coopeation, unleash the potential and promote development of economic and trade cooperation between China and Pakistan in a deep and wide ranging way. Syed Hamid Ali, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Commerce addressed the audience via video link.

Chairman of China Gezhouba Group International Engineering Co Ltd Lv Zexiang and Deputy President of China Road and Bridge Cooperation, Ye Chengyin shared their experiences during implementation of the different development projects under the CPEC framework in Pakistan.

A signing ceremony of MoU on Friendly Cooperation with the CAEXPO Supporting Chamber of Commerce of Special Partner Country and Agreement on Pakistan Pavilion of the China-ASEAN Mercantile Exchange was held via video link. A video on achievements in bilateral cooperation between the two countries over the past seven decades was also screened.

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## ghazi52

$3.2 Billion Karachi Coastal Comprehensive Development Zone (KCCDZ) included under the #China-#Pakistan Economic Corridor framework.

MARITIME MINISTRY INITIATES A HUGE ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION PROJECT FOR KARACHI UNDER CPEC

A monumental decision was taken during the 10th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) on CPEC, held on 23rd September 2021 at Islamabad and Beijing. The two countries agreed to include Karachi Coastal Comprehensive Development Zone (KCCDZ) under the CPEC framework.

KCCDZ, an initiative of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs focuses on providing Karachi with an ultra modern urban infrastructure zone, placing Karachi amongst the top port cities of the world.

In a first of its kind even for CPEC, the planned multibillion dollar mega KCCDZ project will be built on direct Chinese investment in partnership with Karachi Port Trust (KPT). The quantum of expected investment is around USD 3.5 billion.


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## ghazi52




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## ghazi52

$3.2 Billion Karachi Coastal Comprehensive Development Zone (KCCDZ) included under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor framework.

MARITIME MINISTRY INITIATES A HUGE ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION PROJECT FOR KARACHI UNDER CPEC

A monumental decision was taken during the 10th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) on CPEC, held on 23rd September 2021 at Islamabad and Beijing. The two countries agreed to include Karachi Coastal Comprehensive Development Zone (KCCDZ) under the CPEC framework.

KCCDZ, an initiative of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs focuses on providing Karachi with an ultra modern urban infrastructure zone, placing Karachi amongst the top port cities of the world.

In a first of its kind even for CPEC, the planned multibillion dollar mega KCCDZ project will be built on direct Chinese investment in partnership with Karachi Port Trust (KPT). The quantum of expected investment is around USD 3.5 billion.

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## ghazi52

*CPEC to enhance Pakistan’s regional influence, synergize economy*

October 5, 2021






BEIJING: After cooperating to deal with the pandemic, Pakistan and China should also accelerate the building of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The 10th Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting of CPEC has been held and a new IT working group has been established, which will bolster CPEC, read a statement issued on Sunday.

The success of CPEC will effectively enhance Pakistan’s comprehensive national strength and international status, according to an article published by Global Times, an English daily in China.

The key to the success of CPEC is that Pakistan needs to form its own industrial advantages through reform and development that can provide a safer environment for the construction of CPEC.

It said, in recent years, the global and regional structure has undergone major changes. At present, the change of strategic situations in South Asia and its neighbouring regions is mainly reflected in the Afghan issue.

The US hastily withdrew its troops from Afghanistan and the Afghan Taliban quickly took over Kabul. Many strategists and media organisations in the West and India have linked the Afghan Taliban’s seizure of power with China-US relations, China-India relations and India-Pakistan relations.

They believe that the successful seizure of power by the Afghan Taliban is a success of China and Pakistan, but a strategic failure of some countries including India.

India also has the ambition to achieve its goal of becoming a global power through the Indo-Pacific strategy and attempts to implement Hindu nationalist policies at home and in the region.

“India has long been marginalised on the Afghan issue. If India is to play a role in Afghanistan, it is unlikely to play a positive one. India is likely to use its intelligence agencies and some forces cultivated in Afghanistan and its surrounding areas in the past more than 20 years to undermine and disrupt the stability of Afghanistan. This is unfavourable to Afghanistan and its close neighbours, including China and Pakistan,” the article stated.

As all-weather strategic partners, China and Pakistan must work together to maintain and promote regional security and stability.
First of all, China and Pakistan must cooperate closely on the Afghan issue to persuade the Afghan Taliban to establish an open and inclusive government and implement a moderate domestic and foreign policy, it read.

At present, the verbal expression of the Afghan Taliban is very different from that in the past, but we do not know what specific policies they will champion in the future, it added.

The Afghan Taliban are now facing a series of severe challenges. Firstly, the unity of the Afghan Taliban itself; secondly, whether the Afghan Taliban can establish an open and inclusive government; Thirdly, food shortage is likely to lead to humanitarian disasters and refugees; Fourthly, they hope to win the recognition and assistance of the international community, but at the same time, they also face the hatred, blockade, sanctions and even subversion of some hostile forces in the world.

China, Pakistan, Russia and Iran all hope that the Afghan Taliban can establish an open and inclusive regime so that all ethnic groups and parties in Afghanistan can have their own representatives, which is the key for the Afghan Taliban to win domestic and international support.

China does not want Afghanistan to fall into turmoil again due to domestic political struggle that always leads to humanitarian crises, nor does China want Afghanistan to become a shelter for Eastern Turkistan forces such as the ETIM.

China does not want Afghanistan to become a source of regional unrest due to the excessive intervention of some external forces, affecting the security of CPEC.

Therefore, on the issue of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan should coordinate with Russia, Iran and Central Asian countries. These countries together should warn Europe of a possible refugee crisis and put pressure on the US, India and some European countries to take responsible actions to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, the article maintained.

While strengthening strategic and security coordination against terrorist supporters, China and Pakistan should work with countries inside and outside the region to promote the construction of an open, inclusive, democratic and equal regional governance structure and security structure, it concluded.

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## ghazi52

*China 'pleased' as CPEC enters stage of high-quality development*

We are glad to see CPEC achieve new outcomes, says Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson


APP
October 22, 2021


*BEIJING: *Expressing pleasure over the progress of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Friday said that the flagship project has achieved new outcomes and entered a stage of high-quality development.

"We are glad to see that CPEC has achieved new outcomes and entered a stage of high-quality development," he said while responding to a question asked by _APP_ during his regular press conference held in Beijing.

He also referred to the National Development Reforms Commission (NDRC) briefing in which a spokesperson of the commission gave an update on the new progress of the CPEC development.

"This is a demonstration of China-Pakistan friendship, and also an example of promoting the prosperity and development of countries along Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)," Wenbin added,

He said that the Chinese will work with Pakistan to implement the vital consensus reached between the leadership of the two countries and build the CPEC into a demonstration project for BRI’s high-quality development and to boost the building of an even closer China-Pakistan shared community.

Earlier, Meng Wei, a spokesperson of the NDRC, during a press briefing said that the CPEC has entered a new phase of high-quality development after making significant achievements in a wide range of areas over the years.

The CPEC has made significant progress, as expressways, vocational schools and power plants funded by China have been put into operation in Pakistan, he added.

The NDRC spokesperson also said that as a major pilot project of the BRI, the CPEC will accelerate Pakistan’s socioeconomic development in multiple areas, including energy and transportation.

"China and Pakistan will continue to strengthen cooperation focused on the Gwadar port, as well as energy and infrastructure projects, in order to promote the high-quality development of the CPEC," the spokesperson added.

On September 23, the Joint Council for Cooperation (JCC) of the CPEC held a meeting, where five cooperation documents and three inter-enterprise cooperation agreements were signed.

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## ghazi52

*Pakistan-China body discusses progress of CPEC projects*

December 16, 2021

BEIJING: The youth of Gwadar which accounts for 50% of the city’s population is going to be a beneficiary of high-paid jobs in Pakistan and global market as Pakistan-China Technical and Vocational Institute is all set to function by recruiting the first batch of Gwadar students in February next year.

The development will boost employment for Gwadar’s youth at the city’s port, export-oriented industries, Gwadar Free Zone and enterprises to be set up under Gwadar’s master plan.

According to the master plan, the coastal city will create 1.2 million jobs for skilled workers and professionals with an economic output exceeding $30 billion.

Given that around 80% of the city’s population works in fish-catching and fisheries related occupations, the institute will impart the youth with the professional knowledge of modern fishing practices and pre-post handling of fish in the boat and harbor.

Moreover, it will teach the population advanced fish net knitting, fish preservation, ship making, food preservation, business techniques and awareness of Pakistani and Chinese law for business.

The first batch of about 400 students belonging to poor-strata of Gwadar will secure its admission free of cost in Pakistan-China Technical and Vocational Institute.

The institute was built in October 2021 under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor through Chinese aid at a cost of 83 million yuan and with special efforts of Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) Chairman Naseer Ahmed Kashani and China Overseas Port Holding Company Chairman Zhang Baozhong.

The youth of Gwadar (male and female) would prove to be an agent of change for transformation of a small fishing town into a modern smart city, said Pakistan-China Technical and Vocational Institute Project Director Sohail Asghar in an interview.

He added that the technical and professional education, hostel and other allied facilities would be offered free of cost.

He revealed that during a three-year course, students would spend one year in Pakistan-China Technical and Vocational Institute and one and a half years in Shandong Institute of Commercial Technology in China.

Later, the candidates will learn practical experience as internees in course related industries in China, he added.

With high-tech professional education and skills development, the demand for Gwadar’s youth will soar in the native city and foreign companies in China and around the globe.

He added that Gwadar would soon become an economic and logistics hub.

“Shandong Institute of Commercial Technology has also agreed to design the curriculum in line with requirements of the industries,” he said. “It also consented to bear operational cost of the institute for three years for boarding and lodging expenses of Chinese faculty members.”

The contract agreement with the Shandong institute has been submitted to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs for approval, he added.

Besides construction work, the allied work at Pakistan-China Technical and Vocational Institute is also in progress at a cost of Rs168.53 million. Out of this, Rs60 million has been consumed while the remaining Rs107 million is pending for approval, he mentioned.

GPA chairman Naseer Ahmed Kashani said that Pakistan-China Technical and Vocational Institute is the first development work in Balochistan under CPEC and it has been completed three months ahead of schedule. Completed during the pandemic, the institute will produce skilled human resources for port cities, he added.

China Overseas Port Holding Company Chairman Zhang Boazhong said that “young people of Gwadar are the main and fundamental stakeholders of the port city.”

He added that their participation in operation and management of the deep-sea port, industrial and commercial businesses and in urbanisation processes would play a vital role in long-term developmental initiatives.

The Pakistan-China Technical and Vocational Institute aimed at shaping and enhancing the skills of active population of Gwadar in a bid to enable them to participate in the growth of the port city.

Groundbreaking of Pakistan-China Technical and Vocational Institute was held on December 16, 2019. During construction, it generated more than 1,000 jobs for locals.

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## ghazi52

__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1193489661176029

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## ghazi52

Eight years have been completed since the launch of the China-Pak economic corridor in two thousand aces. Meanwhile, significant progress has been made in the construction of electricity projects, industrial parks and public projects.

The only transmission project in Punjab under CPEC - Mora DC transmission project has been activated. Under The Belt and Road Initiative, the first major hydro power station project, started to store water at Krot Hydro Power Station from November 20th, from the second, The foundation for electricity supply has been laid in one thousand and twenty. After the completion of this project, electricity needs for fifty lakh people will be met.

In the agriculture sector, China and Pakistan discovered the chain of Pakistani onion in Islamabad on November 24 in Islamabad. The drafts of Chanch and Quarantine were signed. This is the first agreement between the two countries regarding agricultural exports in the second phase of the CPC between the two countries, which gave Pakistani onions access to the sugar market. 

An ideal plan for industrial cooperation, special Eq A crash Zone, entered the phase of comprehensive construction in two thousand Akis. In addition, the construction of the Gwadar Vocational School, which was built with the help of China on October 1st, was also completed which brings education, skill and hope to the local people. Pakistan's parliament member Ahsan Iqbal Pakistan has not only helped CPEC not only to tackle the energy crisis, but also to build modern basic installations.

They expressed hope that all areas of Pakistan will benefit from the construction of CPEC.

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## ghazi52

....





....
March 5 (APP):.... The photovoltaic ground power station with a capacity of 900 MW in Punjab was listed as one of the priority projects under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Abdul Rehman Arif, an operation and maintenance engineer of Zonergy company said
the solar park has been promoted as one of the largest in the world. Located in the Cholistan desert in east-central Pakistan, its original 100-megawatt plant produces about 150-gigawatt hours a year, enough to light about 100,000 homes in the country, according to the company.

Pakistan faces a year-round electricity shortfall that hits around 6,500 megawatts in the summer, the period of peak demand. Its urban areas often suffer blackouts for five hours or more a day on average, while rural areas can experience more power shortage.

“In addition to easing power shortages, our plant also generates clean and green energy. The clean electricity we provide to municipal facilities and residents can reduce community-wide greenhouse gas emissions,” Abdul told CEN. The cumulative generation capacity of the PV station reached 2.4 billion kilowatt-hours in 2021 which is enough to satisfy the electricity demands of more than 200,000 local households, according to the company.

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## ghazi52

CPEC Security.........





......

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## ghazi52

,.,
Practices in the past five years have proved that the CPEC construction is not targeting specific regions or groups, but is aiming at the whole country of Pakistan and benefits all the people of Pakistan.

*I. Fruitful achievements in CPEC construction*

CPEC has played a flagship leading and demonstration role in the “Belt and Road” construction. It has become a platform for all-round pragmatic cooperation between China and Pakistan.

*Improving macroeconomic conditions in Pakistan*

CPEC has driven the development of Pakistan. The two-gap model proposed by economist Hollis B. Chenery posits that developing countries must introduce foreign investments and stimulate exports to boost growth for their national economy. CPEC has solved the problem of limited investment capacity caused by insufficient savings and shortage of foreign exchange in Pakistan and provided a high-quality source of impetus for Pakistan’s economic development. 

As of January 2019, CPEC included 9 completed early harvest projects and 13 projects under construction, with a total investment of US$19 billion. It drove Pakistan’s economic growth by one to two percentage points every year and created 70,000 jobs in Pakistan. 

The Chinese government provided US$5.874 billion in concessional loans to Pakistan, with a consolidated interest rate of only 2%, far lower than the average interest rate. The Chinese government also provided US$143 million in interest-free loans for the Gwadar East-Bay Expressway project and free assistance for some livelihood projects in Pakistan.

Thanks to favorable factors such as the CPEC construction, Pakistan’s macroeconomic conditions have been improved and its economy has maintained a momentum of rapid growth. 

Over the past five years, Pakistan’s GDP grew by an average of 4.77%, especially in the 2017-2018 fiscal year when Pakistan’s GDP grew by 5.8%, being the highest growth rate in the recent 13 years. Pakistan’s annual foreign direct investment grew from US$650 million to US$2.2 billion, and the per capita annual income rose from US$1,334 to US$1,641.
.,.

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## ghazi52

.,.,
*56 Projects Successfully Launched Under CPEC : 

The government is expanding the scope of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to explore the “Gateway of Prosperity” for both countries and the region at large through advancement of railway sector.*

According to the Economic Survey 2021-22 launched by Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail along with Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir and Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Aisha Ghaus Pasha, the government considers CPEC as a long-term development project as it has the potential to serve as a corridor with multiple doors connecting China with Central Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe.

The survey said the Chinese and Pakistani workforce, in a large number, was employed to ensure timely completion of the infrastructure projects and launched new projects such as Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway (M-6), Peshawar-DI Khan Motorway (M-14), KKH Alternative Route (Gilgit-Shandor-Chitral), Swat Expressway (Phase-II), Dir Expressway, and Karachi Circular Railways.

Pakistan Railways is one of the key modes of transport in the public sector which promotes national integration and economic growth.

During July-March FY 2022, the gross earnings of railways were recorded at Rs 43,731.59 million.

“A network of roads, highways, motorways, sea ports, and airlines in a country makes it a center of economic activity by attracting investment, raising productivity and reducing cost of doing business,” it said.

The government is committed to upgrade the transportation and communication system with the development of new roads, highways motorways, railway tracks and airports to improve connectivity under CPEC.

The CPEC is pragmatic step for converting unique geo-strategic location of Pakistan into geo-economics through various transport related projects that would transform road infrastructure of Pakistan and improve access to central Asian, African and European states, it added.

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## ghazi52

.,.,
CPEC resumption​Ed
July 10, 2022 

IT appears that a recent counterterrorism breakthrough has greatly helped restore Chinese confidence in Pakistan’s security apparatus and paved the way for the restoration of bilateral ties as well as CPEC-related activities, which had been on ice since late April.

Work has reportedly resumed on the Main Line 1 (ML-1) upgradation project, the largest component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Pakistan and the centrepiece of the second phase of CPEC.

The importance of what this breakthrough represents cannot be overstated.

Beijing — an all-weather friend and one of our strongest allies — had all but pulled the plug on its development activities in Pakistan after a brazen terrorist attack on the grounds of Karachi University left three Chinese teachers dead. 

It was well known that Beijing had been quite upset for some time at the impunity with which its people were being attacked on Pakistani soil. After the KU attack, it simply suspended all work on the CPEC front till the time those responsible were nabbed and security for its personnel in Pakistan assured.

The gravity of the situation can be judged from the fact that recently army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa himself had to travel to Beijing with guarantees in a bid to win the Chinese over.
It is unclear what the army chief offered to the Chinese authorities, and what terms were set for the future.

The recent busting of a terrorist cell linked to Baloch extremists BLA and BLF, however, has thawed the ice considerably. The operation reportedly came in coordination with a group of Chinese investigators who had arrived here and were working with the Pakistani team tasked with the case.

This unusual arrangement reflects a lack of faith on the Chinese side. It would have been much better had there been more clarity about the role of this team and whether we should expect similar arrangements in the future, as has been rumoured in some quarters.

Be that as it may, it appears that Chinese authorities are for now satisfied with the progress made and wish to resume their work. It is now up to our government and security forces to make sure there is no further incident which may imperil goodwill between the two countries again. 

However, there also needs to be greater transparency in our dealings with Beijing so that there is greater visibility of the progress being made under CPEC and how the project may affect the security of both foreigners working in Pakistan and the Pakistanis living here.

It is irregular for so much to continue to be negotiated behind closed doors while such a major, transformational project is being executed on our soil. Bilateral relations between Pakistan and China are not the exclusive domain of just one branch of the state that terms continue to be negotiated by it at the exclusion of all others.

_Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2022_

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## ghazi52

,.,.,.
*Conference on Belt and Road project concludes*
Recorder 
10 Jul, 2022








*LAHORE: Federal Minister for Investment Chaudhry Salik Hussain has said that the Belt and Road project is a new model of prosperity and development for the countries of the region. He was addressing the closing ceremony of a three-day international conference on “Role of Belt and Road Project in Promoting Regional Liaison” organized by Punjab University Regional Integration Centre (RIC) in association with the Chinese Embassy at Al-Raazi Hall.*

On this occasion Ambassador of Indonesia Adam Mulawarman Tugio, Ambassador of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Kistafin, Ambassadorof Uzbekistan Aybek A Usmanov, Deputy Head of the mission of the Azerbaijan Embassy Tamerlan Khalilov, former PU VC Dr Muhammad Saleem Mazhar, Vice Chancellor Mian Nawaz Sharif Agriculture University Faisalabad Dr Asif Ali, Executive Director Pakistan Research Centre for a Community with Shared Future Communication University of China Khalid Taimur Akram, Director RIC Dr Fouzia Hadi Ali, faculty members and a large number of researchers from 18 countries and 20 leading Pakistani universities were present.

In his address, Chaudhry Salik Hussain said that China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) would connect Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Russia. Relations between the countries of the region need to be strengthened for socio-economic development. The project would improve public and cultural ties between the countries of the region. He said that the Belt and Road Initiative was a hope for a better future for the region and CPEC would increase export and investment opportunities in Pakistan manifold.

He said that the process of obtaining NOCs for starting a business would be made easy for the convenience of investors. He said that Turkey was using modern means of Agriculture and Pakistan also needed to adopt modern technology to enhance agricultural exports.

Indonesian Ambassador Adam Togio said that the geographical location of Indonesia and Pakistan was important and both countries should promote trade cooperation. In the current era, it was necessary to increase ties among the regional countries.

Kazakhstan’s ambassador Yazrhan Kastafen said, “Kazakhstan is a landlocked country, but the BRI can create the best opportunities for countries to connect with each other.”

Azerbaijan’s Deputy Head of Mission Temirlin Khalilov has said that bilateral ties would boost socio-economic development and tourism. Azerbaijan is fully prepared to join the BRI project.
Former VC Dr Muhammad Saleem Mazhar said that for the first time a large number of delegates from Central Asia were attending the conference. He said that universities are an important source of socio-economic development and relations between the countries of the region should be promoted on priority basis.

The services of Col Khalid Taimor (R), Dr Fauzia Hadi Ali, Assistant Registrar Tashfeen and PRCCSF’s Maryam were appreciated for playing key role in successfully organizing the conference.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022

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## ghazi52

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The senior officials of Pakistan and China on Monday discussed the possibility of extending the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan in order to promote economic development and prosperity in the war-ravaged country.

The idea to extend the flagship programme of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was discussed during a meeting between China’s special envoy on Afghanistan Yue Xiaoyong and Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood at the Foreign Office in Islamabad.
An official statement said the two sides exchanged views on the political and security situation in Afghanistan, humanitarian assistance by Pakistan and China to Afghanistan, and other matters of mutual interest.

“In the context of regional connectivity, both sides exchanged views on extension of CPEC to Afghanistan to promote economic development and prosperity,” read the statement.

The foreign secretary underscored Pakistan’s commitment to a peaceful, stable, prosperous and connected Afghanistan. He highlighted the provision of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan including Pakistan’s relief efforts in the wake of devastating earthquake in eastern Afghanistan on June 22, 2022.

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## ghazi52

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Over 4,000 representatives of Chinese companies take part: STZA organises China-Pakistan technology investment conference in Beijing​BR
21 Jul, 2022

*ISLAMABAD: *The Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA), Cabinet Division, Government of Pakistan, the Pakistan’s Embassy in Beijing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Zhongguancun Belt and Road Industrial Promotion Association (ZBRA) of China, jointly organised the first ever China-Pakistan Technology Investment Conference (CPTIC) virtually.

More than 4500 representatives of the Chinese technology ecosystem, including science and technology parks, high tech production enterprises, technology companies, investment organisations, research and development centres, Chinese state-owned infrastructure companies and Chinese agencies of national, provincial, and municipal governments attended the conference.

The conference can probably be termed as one of the biggest ever forum held between Pakistan and China in terms of participation from Chinese companies. STZA aims to create new linkages with the technology sector in China and pave way for the Pakistani and Chinese technology players to cooperate in the field of technology, and attract Chinese investments, knowledge and technology capabilities through ensuring world-class customer experience and ease of doing business for their operations in Pakistan’s Special Technology Zones (STZs).

Ambassador of Pakistan to China, Moinul Haque opened the forum by welcoming the Chinese representatives. Acknowledging the strong diplomatic ties between the two nations, the ambassador informed the participants that joint working groups with the Ministry of Science and Technology, and Ministry of Information and Technology, have been established under the CPEC framework.

He recognised China as a global leader in the technology industry and stated that both countries have many avenues to cooperate in the field of technology sector. The ambassador appreciated the role of Chairman STZA and his team in enabling the technology ecosystem in Pakistan and create effective linkages with Chinese technology companies.

Amer Hashmi, the Chairman of STZA stated that China is a leading partner in developing the knowledge ecosystem in Pakistan, revealing that STZA had set up a dedicated China desk to help Chinese technology companies and large-scale enterprises investing in Pakistan’s STZs.

The STZs are being developed under the Triple Helix Model of Innovation, bringing together the government, industry and academia to remove barriers and create ease of doing business for domestic and foreign technology sector companies. He thanked the Ambassador of Pakistan to the People’s Republic of China for facilitating the virtual conference and pledged his resolute support for the Chinese technology investors.

The conference was also facilitated by the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad, which was represented by Cao Zhouhua, the First Secretary of Science and Technology. He said that both sides are exploring multi spectral cooperation in the technology sector including, knowledge sharing, zone development, research, policy development, joint training of professionals, and management of STZs as per international benchmarks.

Director of Strategic Planning at STZA, Hamza Saeed Orakzai, who also heads the China desk at STZA, gave a detailed presentation to the representatives including the tax incentives, regulatory support and one window facilitation for the perspective Chinese technology investors.

Zhang Xiodong the President of ZBRA stated that due to the technology boom in China, the taxation revenue increased by 2000 times over the last 30 years. He called for the integration of Chinese and Pakistani Universities for joint R&D to enable and support the China – Pakistan Innovation Centre in China and said that ZBRA and STZA under a partnership are exploring avenues of cooperation for the development of STZs in Pakistan.

Javaid Iqbal, the Chief Commercial Officer of STZA urged Chinese technology sector companies, investors and large-scale enterprises to engage in strategic conversation with STZA to explore future opportunities, stating that Pakistan’s demographic advantage stood for a unique investment base for Chinese technology companies and research organizations, and both countries could enormously benefit by working together in R&D, especially in emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, cloud and quantum computing, semiconductors, internet of things and smart devices design and manufacturing.

The STZA remains committed to job creation, technology transfer and human capital development in Pakistan with a special focus on youth entrepreneurship and innovation. Through its international partnerships and agreements, STZA aims to create a technology-driven knowledge economy in Pakistan to diversify economic indicators and create a new engine for rapid economic growth in the country.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022

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## ghazi52

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PM vows swift completion of stalled Chinese projects in Pakistan​APP
27 Jul 2022,


ISLAMABAD, July 27 (APP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday vowed early completion of the ongoing development projects being carried out by the Chinese companies in Pakistan that earlier faced deliberate delays by the previous government.

He said the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was playing an important role in the development of Pakistan and emphasized that the government was eying increased cooperation and investment with Chinese companies.




The prime minister expressed these views in a meeting with a Chinese delegation led by the President of Shanghai Electric Liu Ping. The meeting was also attended by former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan, Minister of State for Petroleum Dr. Mussadak Malik, Special Assistants Zafaruddin Mahmood, Dr. Jahanzeb Khan, and senior officials.

PM Sharif said the entire nation was grateful to Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Chinese leadership for helping Pakistan in difficult times.

He said the Chinese cooperation and investment to a greater extent led to improved development in Pakistan’s infrastructure, public transport, and power crisis.

He assured necessary steps to ensure the security of engineers and staffers of Chinese companies working in Pakistan.

He regretted that Thar Coal Power Project, which was supposed to be completed a long time ago, was deliberately stalled by the incompetent government of prime minister Imran Khan.

With its completion, the project would generate 1,320 MW of electricity from local coal, he added.

For early completion of Thar Coal Project by Shanghai Electric, the prime minister tasked the responsibility of assistance to Special Representative Zafaruddin Mehmood and Additional Secretary Nadeem Chaudhry.

He commended the assurance given by the Chinese companies to ensure the completion of projects in Pakistan at a fast pace.

The meeting informed the prime minister that Thar Coal Power Project was stalled for the last few years, however, the present government was making rapid progress to complete it by the first quarter of 2023. Also, 7,000 local people have been provided employment due to the project.

The prime minister welcomed the interest of Shanghai Electric to make further investments in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in Pakistan.

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## ghazi52

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PM pushing CPEC ahead with new ‘Pakistan speed’: China​Chinese official sees ‘a lot of progress being made on CPEC’

APP
August 04, 2022


China on Wednesday highly appreciated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for pushing ahead the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with new ‘Pakistan speed’ and acknowledged his untiring efforts for advancing practical cooperation between the two countries.

“We highly appreciate the prime minister’s statements. He (Shehbaz Sharif) has done so much for practical cooperation between the two countries,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said during her regular briefing in response to a question raised by APP.

Shehbaz, in a recent meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong, underlined his commitment to unlock the full economic and connectivity potential of CPEC through expedited and high-quality development of CPEC projects.

The spokesperson remarked that Prime Minister Shehbaz valued Pakistan’s relations with China, adding, “Shehbaz Sharif has many times reaffirmed that Pakistan will push ahead the building of CPEC with new Pakistan speed.”

She said that after he took office, the incumbent premier had visited Gwadar port twice and hosted a seminar between Pakistani and Chinese companies and had done so much for practical cooperation.

“So, with the guidance of the leaders of both countries and with our concerted efforts, we are seeing a lot of progress being made on CPEC,” she added.

“We are ready to further implement the understandings between the leaders of our two countries and building on what we have achieved and current projects,” Hua said.

She went on to say that the two countries would further focus on industrial development, people’s livelihoods, agriculture, science and technology and information technology, etc. to make CPEC into a demonstration project for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

“This will go a long way for China-Pakistan relations and the China-Pakistan community with a shared future and also the well-being of the two countries and the people around the region,” she added.

During the meeting held at PM House last week, the prime minister had emphasised the importance of key projects like Main Line One (ML-1) and Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) in Pakistan’s development plans and expressed his desire to move towards the finalisation of these projects in the upcoming 11th meeting of the CPEC Joint Cooperation Committee (JPC).

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## ghazi52

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Industrial Cooperation​In addition to enhancing economic cooperation and connectivity across the region, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor serves to enhance industrial cooperation between difference parts of Pakistan as well.


Projects aimed at engaging various regions of Pakistan into industrial cooperation through resource mobility, economic integration, and information connectivity are stated below.



*Project Name**Company Name**Status**Progress*Gwadar-Nawabshah LNG Terminal and Pipeline, 700 kmChina Petroleum Pipeline BureauTo be inaugurated
*40%*Haier & Ruba Economic Zone PhaseIIHaier Electrical Applications Corporation Ltd.Feasibility stage
*15%*DTMB Demonstration ProjectTBDGovernment MOU Signed
*5%*Lahore Orange Line Metro TrainChina Railway-China North Industries Group Corporation(CR-NORINCO)Under construction
*70%*Promotion of TD-LTE commercialization in PakistanTBDFeasibility stage
*15%*

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## ghazi52

Winding up approved...

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## ghazi52

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ISLAMABAD – The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has contributed to the high-quality green and sustainable development in Pakistan, and it will push for more such cooperation to promote sustainable and green development in the country.

The views were expressed by Chinese and Pakistan envoys at a webinar exploring green development under CPEC, according to a report published by China Economic Net (CEN) on Friday.

While delivering a keynote speech at the forum, Nong Rong, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan said that China and Pakistan have boosted cooperation in green energy. “Five wind power projects have been completed under CPEC with a total capacity of 300 megawatts, and another 300-megawatt solar power project has been completed,” noted Nong Rong revealed that more green projects are ongoing under CPEC as “[the] Karot hydropower plant has successfully entered commercial operation and large hydropower projects such as SK are progressing,” adding that the Matiari-Lahore power transmission line helps cut “the line loss from 17percent to 4percent, greatly reducing energy loss and improving efficiency.”







Green and sustainable development is also generating huge employment opportunities in Pakistan, shared the envoy. “According to statistics, CPEC has created 85,000 jobs for Pakistan,” Nong explicated, “For example, the construction of Gwadar port has created 4,000 jobs among which 3,800 are [taken by the] Pakistani people.”

Such ideas are echoed by Moin Ul Haque, Pakistani Ambassador to China, who termed CPEC as a “people-centric, socially inclusive, environmentally friendly, and green and sustainable” initiative.
Haque said that “the recently completed Karot hydropower project is an example of [the] clean, green vision of CPEC” and that he was more than “happy to see more CPEC projects [being] taken into consideration in the green development aspect.”

With a growing emphasis on green development, said Haque, China and Pakistan have been working to build a green corridor to focus on areas of agriculture, environment, food, climate change, and food security. “Our two sides are now working to finalise the blueprint of the green corridor to carry out practical cooperation. And in this respect, agriculture has been identified as a key area of cooperation,” noted Haque.

As per Haque, a bilateral meeting to this end will be held before the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) on CPEC this year, and an action plan is also underway with the support of many research institutions, the academia and ministries.

Hosted by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), the CPEC Green-Development High-Level Policy Dialogue aims to engage the key stakeholders from China and Pakistan including the governments, investors, regulators, developers, academia, and civil society to reflect on the success of major initiatives implemented under the BRI and seek a better way forward.

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## ghazi52

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China-Pakistan partners work together to create a model of energy cooperation | The Three Gorges South Asia Corporation has invited international peer experts and scholars to study the achievements of power construction in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
On the morning of September 8, 2022 local time, Three Gorges South Asia Company invited world-class industry consulting institutions, social environment consulting companies, power industry enterprises, as well as Pakistani government officials, experts and scholars to gather online and offline to organize and hold the "International Greenfield Project Development and Construction Seminar", released the "China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Power Achievements and Market Prospects" report, and jointly discussed the achievements and market prospects of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor power construction. More than 150 people attended, including Pakistan's Minister of Electricity, leaders of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, international power industry experts and scholars, and executives of other Chinese-funded enterprises in Pakistan.
The "China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Power Achievements and Market Outlook" report was jointly completed by three gorges South Asia Corporation with the assistance of the Pakistan-China Society (PCI), the National University of Science and Technology of Pakistan (NUST), the Institute of Sustainable Development Policy (SDPI) and dozens of senior experts and scholars from Pakistan's power system. The report systematically summarizes the valuable practical and theoretical achievements in the construction of power projects in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, analyzes the current situation of Pakistan's power industry, sorts out the achievements of the current corridor power construction, and looks forward to the future development direction of the industry. Experts and scholars from the Pakistani side attending the meeting said that through the energy projects in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Pakistan's power supply has undergone rapid changes, achieved leapfrog development, and made great contributions to the power security of the Pakistani people.
The "International Greenfield Project Development and Construction Seminar" was held in the mode of "online + offline", and the Three Gorges South Asia Company, as the president unit of the Power and Energy Industry Branch of the All-Pakistan Association of Chinese-funded Enterprises, invited a number of world-class industry consulting institutions, social and environmental consulting companies and other Chinese-funded enterprises in Pakistan to participate in the experience sharing, deeply discussed the construction management experience of a number of greenfield projects invested and built by Chinese-funded enterprises and the countermeasures for environmental and social problems, and focused on sharing the "Karot Practice" of the Greenfield Development Project of the Three Gorges Group. Actively promote win-win cooperation.
Zhang Jun, general representative of the Three Gorges South Asia Corporation in Pakistan, said in his speech that the Three Gorges Group has been deeply engaged in the Pakistani market for more than 30 years, promoted the development and utilization of clean energy such as hydropower, wind power and solar energy, carried out in-depth investigation and research on the Pakistani power industry, and accumulated valuable practical experience and theoretical achievements in the Pakistani power market. In Pakistan, CTG is committed to providing Affordable and Clean Energy for Pakistan, and through participating in three "China-Pakistan Economic Corridor" projects, including Karot, actively practicing the "Belt and Road" initiative, and deeply participating in the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the Karot Hydropower Station with a total installed capacity of 720,000 kilowatts is one of its representatives. In the past seven years of Construction of Karot, we have seen engineers, managers and workers from China and Pakistan work together to overcome the global outbreak of THE new crown epidemic, and the project has been commercially operational 54 days ahead of schedule. As a Chinese engineer who has witnessed the entire investment in the project, I am extremely proud of the achievements of professionals from China and Pakistan.
Wang Shengjie, director of the Political Information Department of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, said in his speech that the energy sector of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is the largest investment section of the corridor, a successful example of early harvest, and has made special and irreplaceable contributions to Pakistan's solution to power shortages and serve economic and social development, especially in special periods such as anti-epidemic and flood control.
Pakistan's Electricity Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan pointed out in his speech that the power problem has always been one of the factors restricting Pakistan's development, and China can not only help Pakistan build various types of power stations through the efficient use of various types of energy, but also enhance Pakistan's energy independent supply capacity. The #CPEC Power Achievements and Market Outlook report is conducive to deepening the Pakistani public's understanding of the current situation and future development of Pakistan's power sector, as well as the contribution of CPEC to Pakistan's power sector. Pakistan's relevant personnel should learn from Chinese personnel and deepen industrial cooperation between the two countries through the construction of corridors and other projects. China is an important partner of Pakistan in the field of energy, and China's development experience is worth learning from Pakistan.

Source: Three Gorges South Asia Company

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## ghazi52

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## ghazi52

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Planning Ministry Presents Details of 28 Completed Projects Under CPEC​October 15, 2022

As many as 28 projects have been completed with a cost of US$ 18.8 billion under the Framework of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) including 12 projects in the Energy sector, 10 projects of Infrastructure development and 6 projects in the Socio-Economic Development sector.

In a written reply to the National Assembly, the minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhry said that six projects in Punjab, seven in Sindh, two in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, six in Balochistan one in Gilgit Baltistan, one in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and five in Islamabad were completed under the CPEC project.

Currently, nine Special Economic Zones (SEZs) have been agreed upon under CPEC, namely Allama Iqbal Industrial City Faisalabad, Punjab, Rashakai SEZ, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dhabeji SEZ, Sindh, Bostan SEZ, Mirpur SEZ, AJK, ICT Model City Islamabad, Industrial Park on Pakistan Still Mill Land Karachi, Mohmand Marbal City, ex-FATA and Maqpandass SEZ Gilgit.

Out of these nine SEZs, the Federal Board of Investment in consultation with the Chinese side have prioritized the Allama Iqbal Industrial City, Rashakai SEZ, Bostan SEZ, Dhabeji Special Economic Zone for fast-track development, he added.

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## ghazi52

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Pakistan, China to launch three new projects​October 22, 2022





BEIJING, Oct 21 (APP): Pakistan and China have agreed to launch three new corridors, including the China-Pakistan Digital Corridor that would help enhance cooperation in different fields of Information Technology (IT), said Pakistan Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque.

Pakistan has a rich repertoire of talent and human resources in different fields of science and technology and IT-based science and technology have become very important for Pakistan.

“We would be an important source of help for China in terms of software development. So, we are working together to set up training centres in Pakistan for developing software in different fields of IT”, he told China Economic Net (CEN).

He said that the two countries recently agreed to launch three new corridors: the China-Pakistan Green Corridor, which would focus on the agricultural environment, food security, and green development, the China-Pakistan Health Corridor which will help Pakistan get efficiency in the medical field, and then the China-Pakistan Digital Corridor which will boost Pakistan’s IT industry.

Ammar Jaffri, former Additional Director General FIA and founder of Digital Pakistan said that emerging technologies have now become a lifeline for the achievement of The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets.

“We are aiming to organise an international conference about artificial intelligence on March 23, 2023, in which local and foreign enterprises would participate and we would take strategic decisions to engage the government of Pakistan, and international organisations in our mega projects”, he mentioned.

He further said that AI in areas of cyber security, SDGs, and emerging technologies is a much-needed zone where Pakistan has to work with China while Pakistan has a young population advantage in the region.

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## ghazi52

11 power projects completed under CPEC​October 24, 2022

ISLAMABAD, Oct 23 (APP):As many as 11 power projects with accumulative capacity of 6,369 MW under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) have been commissioned while 10 more projects are under various stages of development.
According to data, in the energy mix of CPEC power projects, coal is leading with 8,220 MW, hydel 3,428 MW, Solar 1000 MW and wind 400 MW.

The projects already completed are included 1320 MW each Sahiwal Coal Power, Port Qasim, China-HUB Coal Power, 660 MW Engro Thar Power and Mine, 330 MW HUBCO Thar, 720 MW Karot Hydropower, 400 MW Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park, 100 MW UEP Wind Farm, 99 MW Three Gorge Wind Power Projects, 50 MW each Sachal Wind Farm and Hydro China Dawood Wind.

The projects which are under various stages of development are included 1,320 MW Shanghai Electric (TCB-1) and Mine, 330 MW ThalNova Thar Power, Azad 700.7 MW Azad Pattan Hydropower Project, 1,124 MW Kohala Hydropower, 884 MW Suki Kinari Hydropower, 1,320 MW Thar (Oracle) Coal Plant, 600 MW Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park, 300 MW Gwadar Coal/Solar Power Plant and 50 MW each Cacho Wind Power and Westren Energy Pvt Ltd.

330 MW ThalNova Thar Power Project will start generation by December while 1320 MW Shanghai Electric will commence its generation before the next summer season.


There are some six potential power projects which is expected to be included in CPEC in future are 640 MW Mahl Hydropower, 135 MW Taunsa Hydropower, 350 MW Toren More Hydropower, 260 MW Jameshill More Hydropower and 80 Phander Hydropower Projects.

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## ghazi52

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*Some 27 projects worth $19 billion have so far been completed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) while 63 more with investment of $35.2 billion are scheduled to be completed by 2030, a report titled “Overview of Pakistan’s Power Sector and its Future Outlook” issued by the China Three Gorges South Asia Investment Ltd (CSAIL) revealed.*

According to the report, 27 projects are at implementation stages with investment of $7.7 billion, which are scheduled to be completed by 2025. Thirty six more projects are in the pipeline with an approximate investment of $27.5 billion, which will be completed by 2030.

According to details, in the energy sector, 11 projects with investment of $12 billion have so far been completed, while four projects worth $6 billion are under the implementation process, which are expected to be completed by 2025.

Similarly, seven more projects worth $7.4 billion are in the pipeline and are expected to be completed by 2030.


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## ghazi52

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ECNEC approves $11.3b CPEC projects​November 1, 2022





ISLAMABAD: Hours before Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Beijing, back-to-back meetings of various forums approved almost $12 billion worth of three major projects for inclusion in the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and cleared a longstanding demand by Chinese investors for escrow accounts for automatic payment of their dues against electricity supply.

To set a positive atmosphere for the high-profile visit, these major decisions were taken swiftly by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet and the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) in hurriedly called meetings that took up summaries prepared the same day and delivered to the members on table. Both meetings were presided over by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

Interestingly, all the three summaries for development projects for inclusion in the CPEC framework were moved the same day, but assumed exchange rate of Rs200 per dollar for the $9.85bn railway project from Karachi to Peshawar, Rs230 per dollar for Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) and Rs176 per dollar for a small hydropower project in Azad Kashmir.

Ecnec approved in principle a summary of the Ministry of Railways’ modified plan for upgrade of the existing Main Line-1 (ML-1) project at a total cost of $9.85bn (Rs1.97 trillion) from its previously approved cost of $6.5bn in August 2020 — an increase of 45 per cent.

This is expected to be formally pitched for Chinese participation during PM Sharif’s visit and involve Chinese share of $8.4bn.

The approval, in the meantime, is subject to recommendations of cost, technical details and preferably an equity participation financial model on the basis of third-party validation by an independent consultant and in consultation with the Chinese side.

Ecnec also approved the KCR project at a total cost of Rs292.388bn (about $1.27bn) with a foreign share of Rs263.149bn. It approved the establishment of a 48MW hydropower project in Neelum district, Azad Kashmir, subject to revision of cost based on the exchange rate of dollar at Rs220.

Separately, the ECC approved for immediate activation a Rs50bn escrow account — Pakistan Energy Revolving Fund (PERF) — for automatic payment of dues to Chinese power suppliers because insurer Sinosure stopped providing insurance to investments in Pakistan because of heavy buildup of dues in the existing investments. The power sector’s payables to Chinese investors have gone beyond Rs300bn.

The Ministry of Energy (power division) presented another summary on PERF. The ECC, after deliberation, approved the opening of an assignment account under the title of PERF to be opened with the SBP Islamabad and operated by the CPPA.

The ECC also approved as a special case changes to commissioning period of Shanghai Electric’s 1320MW Thar Coal Block-1 Power Generation Company (TBC). The power division had sought amendment to the power purchase agreement (PPA) for commissioning of designated project — CPEC’s TCB-I (on Thar Coal) without financial close.


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## ghazi52

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__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=446430470960257


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## ghazi52

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__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=665289695214185


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## ghazi52

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China, Pakistan expand cooperation in CPEC projects: Chinese FM spokesperson​November 22, 2022





BEIJING, Nov 21 (APP): China and Pakistan have expanded cooperation under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and made notable progress in areas such as green, information technology, industrial development and health, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Mao Ning said on Monday.

“CPEC is the flagship project for China-Pakistan cooperation. It has made tangible contributions to the social economic development in Pakistan and regional interconnectivity,” she said during her regular briefing in response to a question asked by APP.

She remarked that in recent years, the two sides had expanded cooperation under the CPEC and notable progress had been made in such areas as green development, industrial development, Information Technology development and health.

Mao Ning informed that the first meeting of the joint working group on Information Technology (IT) was held.

China donated the solar equipment to Baluchistan province, and a green project in Gwadar port also made progress, she said and added, “We also made COVID containment jointly.”

The spokesperson said that the Chinese side was ready to work with Pakistan together to implement the important consensus of our two leaders and to follow through on practical cooperation to make CPEC a demonstrative project for high quality cooperation under the Belt and Road.

It may be mentioned here that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s maiden visit to China early this month was unprecedented, constructive and successful.
The two sides agreed to further build on the health, industry, digital and green corridors launched earlier this year and carry out relevant cooperation.

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## ghazi52

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__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1609082908626587648

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