Daily Times

Chinese Ambassador in Islamabad Nong Rong on Friday said the CPEC projects have made sound progress during the year 2022, and stressed the need to pool all resources and strength together and brand the CPEC in a more visible way.

“During year, the CPEC has always been the highlight of our bilateral relations. On 2nd November, President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan on his official visit to China. Our two sides are committed to make full use of the JCC of the CPEC, advance CPEC with greater efficiency, and make CPEC an exemplar of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Before the visit, the 11th JCC meeting was successfully held, setting the path for the future cooperation, Water Resource Management and Climate Change have been added to the social-economic JWG,” the ambassador said at the award ceremony for outstanding Pakistani staff of CPEC projects for 2022.

“A series of good news are coming from different sectors under the CPEC umbrella. The China-aided Eastbay Expressway of Gwadar port has begun operation since June, enhancing connectivity of the port, which is now transporting two hundred thousand ton of fertilizer. Karot Hydropower started commercial operation in June as well, which provides cheap and clean electricity, and can reduce 3.5 million metric tons of carbon emissions annually. The TEL and Nova power plants in Thar also started operation with the local coal. The Shanghai Electric Thar coal-based power plant has been connected to the national grid. Six model farms under Pakistan-China Red Chilli Contract Farming Project are achieving a harvest in Punjab and Sindh Province, with an estimated yield of 700 tons of dried chilly. This is just a portrayal of the great potential of agricultural cooperation between our two countries. In fact, Pakistan’s trade surplus of agricultural products for the year of 2021 enjoyed an increase of 13 times. This year is expected to exceed a record high of US$ 1 billion. So far, CPEC has created 192,000 jobs, 6000MW of power supply, 510 km of highway and 886 km of transmission line, which laid a solid foundation for Pakisan’s socio-economic development,” the ambassador said. “The achievements of the CPEC are not possible without joint efforts of staffs from both China and Pakistan. All the 34 outstanding Pakistani staffs are not only the constructors and participants of the CPEC, but also the ‘witnesses and promoters of a brilliant history,” he added.

“Recently, China adjusted its COVID prevention and control policies, which include the removal of measures to control the number of international flights and restoration of people-to-people exchanges for business and study. These will further promote the exchange of people, and facilitate the investments between China and Pakistan. More Pakistani staff can take training programs in China. More students can go to China for further study, and come back to join the CPEC projects, passing on the friendship between our two countries,” the ambassador said. “The CPEC will always provide a broad stage for people to display their talents and realize personal values. It is hoped that the Chinese and Pakistani staff will cherish the opportunity, contribute to the construction of the CPEC with practical actions, and continue to consolidate the iron friendship between China and Pakistan,” he concluded.

Addressing on the occasion, Pan Jiang, Deputy DG, National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China, said amid global changes and instability in recent years, Pakistan and China have supported each other and forged ahead, demonstrating an iron-clad friendship. “China views its relations with Pakistan from a strategic and long-term perspective and Pakistan has always been a high priority in China’s neighborhood diplomacy. China is ready to work with Pakistan to elevate the level of all-round strategic cooperation, speed up efforts to build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, and inject new impetus into our all-weather strategic cooperative partnership. The two sides will make full use of the Joint Cooperation Committee of CPEC, advance CPEC with greater efficiency, and make CPEC an exemplar of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. This gives us a clear guidance for future cooperation,” he added.

During the ceremony, the representatives of Pakistani staff from three projects (Mir Arslan Ali, from Matiari to Lahore ±660kV HVDC Transmission Line Project, Shakeela Kosar, from Metro train Orange Line Project Lahore; Hamza Khalid from Sahiwal power plant) delivered their speeches.

Representatives of CPEC companies, members of think tanks and media personnel also attended the event.