Daily Times

Over the past 70 years since the engagement at diplomatic levels, Pakistan and People’s Republic of China built relations in diversified fields ranging from political, economic, people to people, education, industry, military, defense, science and technology. These relations are beyond deeper than the sea, sweeter than honey and higher than mighty Himalayas and are wide-ranging covering every possibly field where both sides have made consolidated and strengthened bond of cooperation. The congeniality of interest and cooperation is ever increasing and rising for the past several decades. After the advent of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) at the global forum and later China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with particular focus on Pakistan as an important trade and infrastructure arty of BRI, the strength to strength comfort of commitment from both sides has magnified. CPEC, a network of highways, railways and energy projects, is now in its second and most important phase of cooperation with completion of the early harvest projects where focus is on the cooperation in the fields of agriculture, industrial cooperation and construction of Gwadar port. These projects will be completed and attention will be given to the socio-economic development of overall CPEC apart from new 27 projects has been launched in sub phase-wise. CPEC is one of the most active Corridors of cooperation of larger BRI and the overall time span of this important project with sub projects divided into three important phase since inception in 2014 onwards when first brick was laid down and work begin. The first phase was short term successfully completed in 2017, then medium term is expected to be completed by 2025 while the long term projects will be done by 2030. As Pakistan is an Agro based economy with large GDP contribution of this sector towards uplifting of economy and acting as a backbone of the economy, second phase is significant. Agriculture is the most important beneficiary both directly and indirectly from the development of the CPEC projects. As the CPEC cooperation is growing, we need to precisely look at where cooperation between China and Pakistan is moving especially related to agriculture sector and what are the challenges that this sector has faced over the years which CPEC has proved as a lifeline.

With the advent of BRI and later CPEC has provided Pakistan the life line to connect to the world with the global economic lucrative markets. With shared destiny and concept of peaceful prosperity, China lends a hand to its friend of thick and thin

Almost a decade ago, as a result of Pakistan engagement in the US led war on terror, the country suffer score of the challenges in terms of the lostof economic and human resource. Pakistan was asked to ‘do more’ without taking into considerations the economic, human and overall societal losses that Pakistan as a non NATO ally. While the US opened another chapter of its notorious overseas war in Afghanistan in 2001, China made its entry in the World Trade Organization, which is an equal impactful and important event in the world economic history. World has witnessed that there is one country paranoid with its security and ambitious for lust for power has made the region to go for another while there is another country peaceful rising and lifting the world with its economic benefits, development and concept of shared destiny of prosperity. With the advent of BRI and later CPEC has provided Pakistan the life line to connect to the world with the global economic lucrative markets. With shared destiny and concept of peaceful prosperity, China lends a hand to its friend of thick and thin. This has provided Pakistan and its economy a much needed boost of not only helping to overcome the energy needs but also to build the better connectivity across the country, impacting the lives of the people immensely. This is what a friend does to another friend. The collaboration and cooperation is exemplary.

As agriculture is at the heart of Pakistan’s economic life, the second phase of the CPEC, attention has been given to the sector to uplift it overall and engagement will continue to grow with each phase. In Pakistan agriculture has been facing scores of challenges including old age methods, disease filled seeds and yields, challenges of technology and innovative methods for better corps, lack of research and implementation of better methods and variations of fertilizers and soil knowledge. Apart from these, lack of energy resources and effective water management was mission as well. The aim for building this sector in CPEC is not only to improve the overall farmer’s life but also link him with the local, regional and international markets.

(To be continued….)

The writer is Director, Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies