ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal has said that with the momentum of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a world of opportunities have opened up, setting fundamentals of industrial cooperation between Pakistan and China fast in place. Ahsan Iqbal was addressing a seminar on ‘Industrial Parks in Pakistan’, which was attended by Chinese enterprises and government functionaries from both sides in Beijing on Saturday. The minister said CPEC – the flagship project of ‘One Belt One Road – had made tremendous progress within last two years in completion of infrastructure and energy projects and the time was ripe for businesses from both sides to develop further on the foundations laid by governments and for business-to-business cooperation to take the lead. The Chinese investment and technology and Pakistani location and low production cost combined together have made a winning combination, he pointed out. Ahsan Iqbal said that through various energy projects, power crisis would be resolved which was the first prerequisite of industrial development. He said that the second requirement of industrial development was strong infrastructure and in next two years Gwadar port would also have improved infrastructure through road and modern airport. As for peace and security, a requirement for industrial investment and development, he mentioned that the government had taken solid steps not only to improve the security situation in the country but both countries were working together to improve the security situation in the region. Describing the opportunities in Pakistan, he said that with a large middle-income population, Pakistan was an attractive choice. The distance from Kashghar to Gwadar port being 2,500 km was far shorter compared to distance from Shanghai port to Arabian Sea, which was more than 1,5000 km. The land route through Gwadar port could also provide logistics to enterprises, particularly in west China through rail and road links, he added. Discussing the prospects of cooperation in industrial parks in Pakistan, he explained the available opportunities in engineering, automotive industry, information technology, chemicals, construction materials, textiles, agro-based industry, fisheries, marbles, small and medium enterprises, particularly cottage industries and highlighted their potential to create employment at the grass root level. He also advised Chinese businesses to join joint ventures to make win-win platforms for both Pakistani and Chinese businessmen so as to develop and maintain goodwill by more mutual and partnership-based relationship.