ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal said on Tuesday that projects worth $30 billion have already been implemented under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Addressing academics from the Peking University in China prior to the 6th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC), scheduled on December 29, the minister said that CPEC was the biggest project under China’s One-Belt One-Road initiative and would unite the entire region. The planning minister said that with the addition of new projects in the 6th JCC, investment in CPEC would further increase. He said that industrial cooperation under CPEC would kick-start an economic revolution in Pakistan while the economic zones would generate investment and employment opportunities for the country. He said that eight industrial zones would be set up in all provinces of the country adding that two of these zones would be in Balochistan, including the Gwadar free zone. Regarding the security of Chinese companies working on CPEC, the minister said that a new security force had been formed to protect both the workers and the projects that they are working on. He said China and Pakistan would work together to defeat all anti-CPEC forces. He said that the participation of high level officials from the provinces in JCC was the symbol of national unity and commitment. The minister maintained that the involvement of provinces in JCC with full spirit will help complete the CPEC projects at a fast pace. He said that education, agriculture and tourism sectors would eventually grow in long-term programmes. The Minister said that Chinese and Pakistani universities should work together to promote education and added that people-to-people contacts would also be developed through CPEC. He said that various projects of cooperation between Pakistani and Chinese media industry were also under consideration.