ISLAMABAD (TNS) Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif is committed to taking the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project to new heights where this project will usher in a new era of development and prosperity in the region and the world.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan says that China is our friendly country, we have historical relations based on brotherhood with China, the protection of Chinese brothers is the top priority of the government of Pakistan.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a very important joint project of Pakistan and China, CPEC is now entering its second phase in which matters will be settled between the two countries on a business-to-business basis. A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Media Wing said that a review meeting was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif regarding the security arrangements for Chinese residents in the country. Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said that in the context of the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the protection of Chinese residents in Pakistan has become more important. We are providing a safe and business-friendly environment for the Chinese community in the country. Safe City projects are being built according to international standards across the country. China is our friendly country. We have historical relations based on brotherhood with the neighboring country. The protection of Chinese brothers is the top priority of the Government of Pakistan. Several steps are being taken to make the security of Chinese residents effective throughout the country, including Islamabad. Safe City projects are the best example of this growing capacity. In the context of the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the protection of Chinese residents in Pakistan has become more important. We are building a safe and business-friendly environment for the Chinese community in the country. The confidence of Chinese companies in the Pakistani economy is very important for our economic future. Steps should be taken on a priority basis to facilitate the movement of Chinese residents at airports across the country. The Prime Minister was briefed on the progress of special security arrangements for Chinese residents across the country. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi briefed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif about the security arrangements across the country. It was informed that in view of the concerns of terrorism, special security arrangements for Chinese residents are in effect, the federation and all provinces are working with full cooperation in this regard. Safe City projects are under construction across the country, security escort facilities are being provided to Chinese residents for travel, Safe City quality cameras will be installed in all new residential projects. The meeting was attended by Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister of State Talal Chaudhry, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi and other senior officials. It may be recalled that before the important meeting with the Chinese leadership on June 5, 2024, the Prime Minister had said in an article published in the Global Times that we are grateful to Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Chinese government for their full support to Pakistan in difficult times. The upgraded version of CPEC is a promise of a brighter future. CPEC is already moving ahead at a fast pace and under its framework, industrialization, agriculture, information technology and mining are being focused on as priority sectors. Inspired by the spirit of mutual cooperation, the upgraded version of CPEC envisions more than 60 high-quality cooperation projects and Pakistan is committed to achieving this goal by taking its long-standing and sustainable partnership with China to greater heights. He said that I consider this visit as an important opportunity to further strengthen cooperation between Pakistan and China in the political, economic, trade and investment sectors. Personally, it is an opportunity for me to once again benefit from Chinese wisdom on matters of peace, security and development. This time, since assuming the office of Prime Minister, I have focused on a comprehensive governance and economic reform agenda to strengthen our economy in an uncertain international economic scenario. Our primary focus is on improving regulations, maintaining policy consistency, and fostering an enabling environment for strong, equitable, and resilient economic growth. The Pakistani government is promoting a business-friendly environment to boost exports through increased productivity. To improve the services sector, the government has begun work on measures such as increasing the number of vocational training programs. In all our efforts, we are fully committed to supporting and protecting Chinese personnel, projects, and institutions as they are playing an immense role in Pakistan’s development and prosperity. Referring to the establishment of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to promote and increase foreign direct investment in Pakistan, Shahbaz Sharif had said that this council is delivering results in improving the ease of doing business, removing barriers, and improving coordination between the federal and provincial governments, and is prioritizing key sectors such as agriculture, mining, information technology, and energy in Pakistan through foreign investment. It is heartening to see that our reform initiatives and efforts to attract foreign direct investment are yielding results. The priority sectors to be developed have been linked to the five corridors envisaged for the upgraded version of CPEC, namely, Development, Livelihood, Innovation, Green and Open Corridors.The development and industrialization of Special Economic Zones is consistent with the ‘Growth Corridor’ of CPEC, and similarly, information technology, as another national priority sector, is consistent with the Innovation Corridor. The Open Corridor of CPEC is consistent with our outreach to international partners so that they can invest in Pakistan and benefit. On the one hand, the government is committed to further higher education cooperation between China and Pakistan in the field of new-standard productive forces, and on the other hand, it wants to further foster friendship and trust between the two countries and peoples. The Prime Minister of Pakistan had said that Pakistan supports the concept of One China for international peace and regional stability, the promotion of sustainable development, and a more equal, prosperous and peaceful world. Pakistan and China have an iron friendship spanning 73 years and our season-tested strategic cooperative partnership has become a strong tree rooted in the hearts of the people of both countries. He said that I firmly believe that with the joint efforts of the two countries, Pak-China cooperation will reap more benefits and improve the lives of our citizens, which is our most valuable asset. CPEC will usher in a new era of development and prosperity in the region and the world. Pakistan and China are committed to taking CPEC to new heights so that the goal of common prosperity can be achieved by promoting regional connectivity.
This year, on January 12, 2025, Pakistan and China reiterated their commitment to high-quality development in the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which emphasized industrialization, special economic zones (SEZs), clean energy, agriculture and employment projects. The statement issued by the Foreign Office Spokesperson said that this was agreed upon by the two sides at the fifth meeting of the CPEC Joint Working Group on International Cooperation and Coordination (JWG-ICC) held in Beijing. The meeting was co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong. The meeting acknowledged the key role of CPEC in promoting regional connectivity, cooperation and shared prosperity. The two sides reviewed the progress made since the fourth meeting of the JWG-ICC held in Islamabad on January 21, 2024. The Foreign Secretary described CPEC as the foundation of economic cooperation and a bright symbol of lasting friendship between the two countries. The Chinese Vice Foreign Minister highlighted the new paths introduced under CPEC 2.0, namely Growth, Livelihood, Innovation, Open and Green Corridors and their integration with Pakistan’s national development framework, the axis of which is E5E, which includes Exports, E-Pakistan, Energy, Environment and Equity. The two sides expressed their determination to enhance cooperation in the areas of bilateral relations. The two sides expressed satisfaction with the ‘positive direction’ of bilateral relations and reiterated their commitment to further deepen the strategic cooperative partnership in all seasons. They also discussed a number of regional and international issues, and agreed to further enhance mutual cooperation and consultation, including through high-level exchanges and dialogue mechanisms. The Foreign Secretary described the Pak-China relations as ‘special and unique’ and said that the government and people of Pakistan value this enduring friendship. The meeting reviewed all aspects of practical cooperation between the two countries. The sides stressed the need to strengthen mutual cooperation in multilateral forums, including the United Nations Security Council. Later, the Foreign Secretary met Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Xiaosu and discussed Pakistan-China relations and regional and international issues of common interest. Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zedong said that the strategic cooperation between Pakistan and China will continue to deepen in the future. Addressing the Chinese New Year ceremony, the Chinese Ambassador said that the Khunjerab Pass has started working year-round, which is a historic development. Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit 5, which can create 40,000 direct and indirect jobs during the construction period, has been officially commissioned. The project has vast potential for practical cooperation between the two countries. He said that we are ready to strengthen the development strategy with Pakistan, deepen mutually beneficial and beneficial cooperation, develop an upgraded version of the CPEC construction, and accelerate the construction of a China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era.
President Xi Jinping has recently maintained close contacts with the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan, and agreed to promote strategic cooperation. China is ready to provide new opportunities to the world with its modernization drive, the ambassador thanked the President and Prime Minister for writing a letter to President Xi about the earthquake in Zhejiang earlier this month. Jiang Zedong said that we believe that regardless of sudden natural disasters or complex and severe external environment, we can overcome difficulties and move forward bravely, continuously advancing the great goal of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation. China’s economy is stabilizing and improving, and the total grain output has reached a record 1.4 trillion yuan for the first time.
