Daily Times

Pakistan Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) played a vital role in the future economic development of Pakistan, with the Gwadar port as the main component.

“The CPEC is one of the most important flagship projects of the five corridors launched under Belt and Road Initiative.

Half of its projects have already been executed, he said in an interview with CGTN Radio.

Ambassador Haque said, under the first phase of the CPEC, several major energy projects including hydro, wind and solar projects were executed.

“The second component of the CPEC is infrastructure, highways, waterways and bridges which have been built across Pakistan, improving the communication and road infrastructure, he added.

The important part of physical infrastructure was laying the fibre optic link from Chinese border to Pakistan to help the communication network.

Ambassador Haque remarked that the third important component of the first phase was the Gwadar port which is almost complete and functional.

The other infrastructure projects like recently inaugurated East Bay Express were inaugurated and the work was under progress on International Airport and many of the allied infrastructure industry.

About special Economic Zone being set up in Gwadar, he said, a large number of Chinese companies were setting their businesses there.

The country was entering into phase two which was even more important and focused on industrialization, agriculture, social well-being of the people, poverty alleviation and green economy.

“We have also launched recently China-Pakistan healthcare corridor, digital corridor, green corridor,” he added.

He said “Under Green Corridor, we are focusing on the agriculture and food security, and in digital corridor, we are benefiting from China’s experience and expertise in the IT sector and industry.

“The government is developing special economic zones and encouraging relocation of Chinese industries to Pakistan not only to help the domestic market, but also to the region and exporting to other countries,” he added.

Terming the CPEC a broad framework of economic development for Pakistan and also for the region, Ambassador Haque said, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has rightly linked it with the economic future of Pakistan.

This year marks the 71st anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Pakistan.

Ambassador Haque said the “China-Pakistan relationship is unshakable,” adding that the relationship between the two countries remains constant, “no matter which government has been in Pakistan or China, no matter how the international political landscape changes.