China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) | Updates & Discussions

[wiseone2]

Fresh from Gwadar Port: Landlocked Xinjiang feasts on fresh deep-sea fish
(People's Daily Online) 14:34, May 22, 2017

Seafood flown in from Gwadar Port debuts at a seafood exposition in Karamay, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

More than 2 tons of seafood straight from the Indian Ocean hit dining tables around Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China's furthest inland region, on May 20. The seafood was incredibly fresh, as only 34 hours elapsed between the time it was caught in Pakistan's Gwadar Port to its arrival Xinjiang by air.

The 16 varieties of fish--including lobsters and red and black groupers---parachuted in as part of a seafood exposition in the city of Karamay, coordinated by a Xinjiang fishing company that invested 510 million RMB in the Gwadar Special Economic Zone, built in cooperation with China.

“Gwadar’s quarantine and customs departments offered a fast channel for the seafood,” explained Ma Jinglu, a manager at Xinjiang Yufei International Fishing Company. He also said the a direct rail and sea freight service from Gwadar to Xinjiang’s capital city of Urumqi started service in April 2016, and those routes have greatly facilitated the transportation of his company’s products.

In 2015, it was announced that Gwadar would be developed as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for a cost of $1.62 billion, with the aim of linking northern Pakistan and western China to the deep-water port. Construction on the Gwadar Special Economic Zone began in June 2016. It is being built on a 2,292-acre site adjacent to Gwadar's port.

The Gwadar Port is a flagship CPEC project under the Belt and Road Initiative. Nadeem Javaid, who advises Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government and works closely on the CPEC program, said the Gwadar-Xinjiang corridor should be operational from June of next year, and Pakistan expects up to 4 percent of global trade to pass through the corridor by 2020, Reuters reported.

The seafood was incredibly fresh, as only 34 hours elapsed between the time it was caught in Pakistan's Gwadar Port to its arrival Xinjiang by air.

Who needs CPEC to ship fish by air ?

 

[JSCh]

The seafood was incredibly fresh, as only 34 hours elapsed between the time it was caught in Pakistan's Gwadar Port to its arrival Xinjiang by air.

Who needs CPEC to ship fish by air ?

CPEC is about trade connectivity. So not only the hardware, but software(services) as well. For eg. from the article: “Gwadar’s quarantine and customs departments offered a fast channel for the seafood,”.

 

[JSCh]

1st CPEC major energy project inaugurated to benefit 10 mln locals
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-03 23:05:59|Editor: MJ

Photo taken on July 3, 2017. shows the Sahiwal coal-fired power plant in Sahiwal in Pakistan's eastern province of Punjab. The first major energy project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was inaugurated on Monday in Sahiwal in Pakistan's eastern province of Punjab. (Xinhua/Liu Tian)

SAHIWAL, Pakistan, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The first major energy project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was inaugurated on Monday in Sahiwal in Pakistan's eastern province of Punjab.

With its two 660-megawatt units, the Sahiwal coal-fired power plant is expected to generate 9 billion kwh of electricity annually to address about one forth of Pakistan's current power deficit, or electricity demand of 10 million locals, according to an official from the China Huaneng Group, a major shareholder of the Sahiwal power plant.

Nur Bekri, director of China's National Energy Administration, said at the inaugurating ceremony that the completion of the Sahiwal power plant is another milestone of China-Pakistan friendship and the plant will continuously inject driving power to Pakistan's economic development.

He said that the Chinese energy authority will continue to strengthen bilateral pragmatic cooperation with Pakistan in terms of energy so as to tangibly push forward the construction of CPEC to benefit peoples both from China and Pakistan.

The power plant was built within a 22-month period, the fastest in Pakistan. The power plant equips two high efficient generation units with a series of advanced de-pollution measures.

For his part, Chief Minister of Punjab Shehbaz Sharif said that the Sahiwal power plant is the first step to realize the blueprint of CPEC and it will bring tremendous improvement to the Pakistani economy.

Punjab Provincial Energy Secretary Asad Gillani told Xinhua that with the connection to the national grid, electricity generated from Sahiwal will be distributed to all Pakistan and help shorten periods of power cut in the country.

 

[JSCh]

Pakistan's Chashma 4 connected to grid
03 July 2017

Unit 4 at the Chashma nuclear power plant in Pakistan was connected to the grid on 29 June. The Chinese-supplied pressurised water reactor (PWR) - the country's fifth power reactor - is expected to enter commercial operation by the end of August.

CNNC and PAEC representatives in Chashma 4's control room (Image: CNNC)

A ceremony was held on 1 July to mark the unit's grid connection, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced today. The ceremony was attended by representatives from the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission and CNNC.

Chashma 4 is one of two CNP-300 units built at the site, in Punjab province. Construction began on unit 3 in March 2011. It achieved first criticality on 3 October 2016 and was connected to the grid on 15 October. The unit entered commercial operation in December.

Construction of Chashma 4 began in late December 2011. The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority granted permission on 9 February for fuel to be loaded into the unit, which achieved first criticality on 15 March. CNNC said the unit was connected to the grid at 11.36am on 29 June and is expected to be in commercial operation by the end of August.

The Chashma site - also referred to as Chasnupp - is already home to two Chinese-supplied 300 MWe PWRs: unit 1, in commercial operation since 2000, and unit 2, in commercial operation since 2011. Pakistan also has a 125 MWe Canadian-supplied pressurized heavy water reactor, Karachi unit 1, which has been in commercial operation since 1972.

Two 1161 MWe Chinese-supplied Hualong One plants are also under construction at the Karachi site. Construction of Karachi 2 and 3 started in August 2015 and May 2016, respectively. The units are scheduled to enter service in 2021 and 2022.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Pakistans-Chashma-4-connected-to-grid-0307174.html

 

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How China will change the face of northern areas of pakistan through CPEC connectivity to China! .... A Forward Looking Video

 

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[ghazi52]

 

[m haris khan]

CPEC is not a Project is the Future of Paksitan

 

[POPEYE-Sailor]

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Switzerland’s growing investments in Pakistan with CPEC as project of opportunities’

• RECORDER REPORT
• JUL 23RD, 2017
  
• KARACHI

Pakistan is once again surfacing as an emerging market offering attraction to foreign investors. The GDP growth of over 5 percent, growing consumer market driven by the growing middle class, functional democratic institutions in the country and substantial improvements in the security situation of the country are all positive economic indicators. The economic horizon of the country is further brightened with the successful launch of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) whose positive effects are now surfacing on ground.

In a positive development, CPEC is beginning to be recognized by global investors as an initiative of good value to all investors who opts to derive business benefits out of it. It is a major shift from the earlier perception that CPEC is China-Pakistan centric and tends to isolate Pakistan from the radar of other global investors.

Swiss Business Council (SBC) Pakistan, in collaboration with the Swiss Embassy and Consulate General in Pakistan and its business associates in Switzerland took up the initiative to project these positive developments to global investors and in particular to market CPEC as a project of global value. The SBC's investment events, held for the purpose in March and April 2017 at Islamabad and Karachi respectively, which were widely participated by ambassadors, commercial councilors of foreign missions, business leaders and media.

As a follow-up to ground work in Pakistan, in early July 2017, a delegation of SBC Pakistan visited Switzerland to invoke Swiss investments and enhance bilateral trade between Pakistan and Switzerland, much driven by the opportunities offered under CPEC. In the events organized for SBC by its business partners in Switzerland, notably, Switzerland Global Enterprises (S-GE) on 4th July near Lucerne and by Swiss-Asian Chamber of Commerce (SACC) and Asia Society Switzerland (***) on 5th July in Zurich, the changing business and political dynamics in Pakistan and the region was debated and the value-addition offered to Swiss investors under CPEC was highlighted in terms of enhanced regional connectivity and accessibility to unexplored markets through state of art road and rail network, enhancement in the energy capacity of the country through an investment of over $35 billion and establishment of over 30 Special Economic Zones all over the country.

All the said events in Switzerland were remarkably well attended by the business leaders, bankers, Swiss business chambers and opinion makers, signifying the growing Swiss interests. The high point of the events was a high-level panel discussions on CPEC participated by a large number of business leaders, notably, from Nestlé, Sika, SACC, ***, SBC, Pakistan's Ambassador to Switzerland and the Swiss Consul General in Karachi.

In a meeting held at the Federal Secretariat of Economic Affairs (SECO) at Bern with Ambassador Livia Leu, the CPEC project was discussed at length and its salient features were presented. SECO is Switzerland's Ministry responsible for the economic affairs of the country.

Dr Aman Rashid (Pakistan's Ambassador to Switzerland) and Philippe Crevoisier (Swiss Consul General in Karachi) were part of the delegation with their strong presence at all of the events. Participants from SBC were Farhat Ali (President), Asif Ikram (Past President), K. M. Iqbal (Director), Kalim Farooqi (Member) and Fletcher P. Albert (Business Development Manager).

"Farhat Ali, President-SBC, while concluding the outcome of the trade mission to Switzerland stated: "It is encouraging that foreign investors have once again started to look at Pakistan with interest. The level and quality of participation at each of the events in Switzerland adds credentials to the changing trend of the investors in favor of Pakistan."

He said that "in the last two years, SBC in collaboration with S-GE, has managed to secure the foot print of six new Swiss SMEs in Pakistan. The target of 2017 is to motivate the presence of an additional six Swiss SMEs in Pakistan."

He further concluded that "Pakistan needs more of these global initiatives to reach out to foreign investors at their door steps. The perception of Pakistan in global fraternity is not favourable and needs dramatic improvement by reaching out, one-to-one, to the business leaders and opinion makers to correct this perception.

He said CPEC is something we now have in hand which must be utilized to full extent to present to the world the new positioning of Pakistan in the changing political and business dynamics in this emerging region of Asia where Pakistan has to play a significant role. European countries need new markets and accessibility. Pakistan, being an emerging market and strategically located has a good potential to fill in these gaps and capitalize on the given situation."-PR

Copyright Business Recorder, 2017

 

[Introvert]

CPEC to create trading bloc of 3 billion people

ISLAMABAD: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has resonated at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva.

A roundtable focusing on the “One belt One Road” (OBOR) initiative of China was jointly organized by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) and Chinese Centre for International Economic Exchange (CCIEE) for ambassadors, delegates and trade experts at WTO. It is considered a part of Chinese global economic diplomacy, a message received by The News from Geneva said.

“The CPEC epitomizes South-South trade and investment at its best. It is providing stimulus to a deep regional economic integration and creating a trading block of three billion people - nearly half of the planet, which include half of world’s extreme poor. The deepening of economic integration will lower trade costs, essential for ending poverty” Pakistan’s Ambassador to WTO Dr Tauqir Shah said while speaking at a Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

CCIEE Chief Economist Ms Wenling Chen, who was keynote speaker, showcased the CPEC as key example of what BRI stood for and frequently referred to the game-changer while explaining BRI to participants of the roundtable. She cited CPEC as an excellent example of intergovernmental coordination.

She highlighted the role of OBOR in global economic integration, explained the driving forces and objectives of BRI, underlined the interaction and mutual support between BRI and other components of global trade governance and how BRI can strengthen and guard multilateral trading system.

Ms Wenling Chen said BRI is for cooperation, peace, and mutual benefit of all the 60 plus countries involved in this initiative. She said OBOR is about connectivity, quality intra-governmental coordination, infrastructure development, trade, investment, global supply chains, financial integration and ultimately for elimination of poverty and development of whole region and 2 world at large.

While commenting on BRI, Dr Tauqir Shah gave Pakistan’s perspective on the CPEC as an early harvest component of BRI. He said OBOR is immensely important for the Global economy and critically significant for Pakistan.

“The CPEC, a US $54 billion initiative, has all the vital elements of economic development like - transport, highways, railways, ports, urban metro, industrial parks, information technology, last but not the least energy - considerable part of this is renewable energy.” The ambassador said the CPEC is proving to be a game-changer for Pakistan and the region, and will be a bridge between three engines of growth, - China, South Asia and Central Asia.

While highlighting economic significance of CPEC for Pakistan, he said the country had a four to five thousand MW energy deficit in 2013, which is 25% of its total generation capacity; and it was costing us 2% of GDP growth. “This development deficit needed an initiative of “Big Bang Scale”, like - CPEC. It is a set of 55 projects - 75% of funding is for providing 17000 MW of energy, over next ten years. This includes solar, hydro and Wind energy projects, many of these being foreign direct investment of Chinese private sector.”

Dr Tauqir Shah said the CPEC has created opportunities for everyone. The solar and wind energy projects have wind turbines and other components from Europe. “Our solar projects have consultants for quality assurance from Germany. During 2016, exports from Europe to Pakistan increased by more than 20%, from US $4.2 billion to $5.2 billion, primarily due to increased economic activity resulting from infrastructure development through CPEC.”

Citing another example to show the impact of CPEC on economy, he said that spurred by the CPEC infrastructure projects, Pakistan’s cement industry is expected to increase its capacity by 56 % to 70 million tons in next five years; Pakistan’s cement sector profitability grew 17pc in the last one year on account of higher domestic demand - credit to the construction sector as of Dec 2016, increased by 26pc.

The ambassador said the speedy implementation of the CPEC and the economic stimulus brought about by it has led to increase in demand of cement across Pakistan. Majority of existing cement plants in Pakistan are expanding, and licenses to set up 10 new plants has been given to foreign investors—mostly foreign direct investment.

He said that the hallmark of the CPEC is the north south highway and rail link, designed to link Arabian Gulf coast of Pakistan at Gwadar in south, to north western Chinese region of Xinjiang and Kasghar, thus reducing the distance of China’s northwest from Arabian Gulf from 14000 kilometers to 2500 kilometers, transforming the trade cost for whole region.

“We firmly believe the CPEC will result in increase in trade, investment and financial flows, bringing peace and prosperity to the region and even beyond.”

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/218755-CPEC-to-create-trading-bloc-of-3-billion-people

 

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CPEC Cranes berths increased to 9 from 6 in Gwadar... CPEC work still going full steam ahead

 

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CPEC: High-potential sectors identified for investment

PCJCCI official says capital should go towards productive sectors
By OUR CORRESPONDENT
Aug.05,2017
LAHORE: Pak-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI) Founder-President Shah Faisal Afridi on Friday laid stress on taking on board representatives and stakeholders of the projects related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) before deciding the type and number of special economic zones (SEZs) planned along the corridor.

He expressed these views after meeting PCJCCI President Wang Zihai. Afridi urged the organisations working independently for strengthening Pak-China relations to share knowledge regarding the specification of SEZs to be set up by both countries.

He emphasised that it was important to direct investments towards the productive sectors and revealed that the PCJCCI was in contact with Chinese delegations and was well aware of the trends and dynamics in Chinese markets which Pakistan’s industry could cater to.

Pakistan, he said, could create a market for its goods by developing potent sectors through investments in technology and infrastructure.

The PCJCCI president said his organisation was taking initiatives to attract investment from China in eight high-potential sectors including furniture, handicrafts, textiles, fertilisers, cement, glass works, energy and pharmaceuticals.

“These sectors are identified after data sharing by both countries,” he said, adding Pakistan was in dire need of maximum SEZs to tackle the economic challenges being faced for decades.

“These special economic zones will strengthen the industrial base, boost economic growth and protect the national economy from external shocks such as global recessions,” Afridi said, highlighting the role played by SEZs in helping China integrate into the global economy.

“After a detailed analysis of current market needs, strengths and weaknesses of Chinese and Pakistani markets, the PCJCCI has delineated various sectors in which the formation of joint industrial parks and SEZs would do wonders,” he said.

Zihai said lack of cold-chain logistics and processing facilities were causing 50% wastage of agricultural products in Pakistan during harvest and transport. Chinese expertise and investment would help tackle the situation, he emphasised.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5th, 2017.

 

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Work on all portions of CPEC Western Route underway
August 6, 2017
180


ISLAMABAD, Aug 6 (APP): The construction and land acquisition
work on all portions of the Western Route of China Pakistan Economic Corridor is under way and expected the major work on the Route would be completed by next year.
The shortest of all CPEC routes is Western Alignment of the CPEC which
is 2,463 km length and starts from Khunjrab, passing through Burhan (Hakla), DI Khan (Yarik), Zhob, Quetta,Surab and Hoshab and terminates at Gwadar.
An official of Planning Commission told APP that the Western Routes’
615 Kilometer Khunjrab-Raikot section has already been completed while Havelian- Abotabad-Manshehra (40 km) section will be completed by May, 2018.
He said work on construction of all five sections of Hakla-D.I.Khan
Expressway has begun.
This project is an important part of Western Route of CPEC and
the 285 km-long Motorway will be completed in two years at a cost of
more than Rs 142 billion.
He said that the project alignment starts at Hakla, near Tarnol interchange on M-1 and passes through Fateh Jhang, Mianwali,Kundal and ends at Yarak at Indus Highway (N-55).
He said that the alignment of motorway passes through
developing areas and its construction will generate new employment
opportunities.
Availability of high-speed transportation will pave way for
improvement of health and education sectors as well, and local
produces will easily be taken to the big markets.
He said that ground breaking of the up-gradation of
Zhob-Mughalkot section was performed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in
December 2015.
He said that rehabilitation of D.I.Khan-Mughalkot section of
N-50 would be completed by 2018. Moreover he said that dualization of
531 km D.I.Khan to Kuchlak section of N-50 would be operational by
2020.
The objective of the CPEC is to promote trade ties with neighboring
countries Central Asian States and South Asian countries, which will ultimately prepare the
make Pakistan a trade hub in this whole region, he said.
Similarly, the Sorab-Hoshab highway forms an important link on the western route
of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and has been completed at an estimated
cost of Rs 22 billion.
The highway is 449 kilometers long and links the Gwadar port to the north.
The official said that with the completion of the highway, the distance time from
Gwadar to Quetta has been reduced from 48 hours to only 10 hours.

 

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Shahid Khaqan Abbasi vows to implement, personally supervise CPEC in Pakistan
Firstpost • Aug 04, 2017 10:56 IST

By PTI






Newly-appointed Pakistan prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has vowed to implement the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and personally supervise the speedy completion of all projects.

"Beyond CPEC, our economic cooperation will further enhance," said Abbasi at a meeting with Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong on Thursday night.

File image of Pakistan prime minister Shahid Abbasi. Getty Images

The ambassador said that during the last four years, the bilateral relationship between China and Pakistan has attained new heights and he expressed belief that such ties will further strengthen under the leadership of Abbasi, reports Xinhuanews agency.


During the meeting, Sun conveyed the congratulatory message of Chinese president Xi Jinping to Abbasi on his election.

He said that the Chinese leadership is happy to see the smooth transition in Pakistan and will continue to support the government for the development and prosperity of the country.

On Tuesday, Abbasi, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, was elected prime minister, after he won the National Assembly election with a majority vote, five days after the Supreme Court disqualified his predecessor, Nawaz Sharif.