Pakistan Railways highly appreciates the ten-year development of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. China Pakistan | Economy
[Global Times Special Correspondent in Pakistan Cheng Shijie] Recently, a series of activities related to the 10th anniversary of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor were held in Pakistan. On July 31, He Lifeng, Special Representative of President Xi Jinping and Vice Premier of the State Council of China, attended relevant activities in Pakistan.
On July 30, 2023 local time, in Lahore, Pakistan, the streets were decorated with Chinese flags.
He Lifeng visited Pakistan from July 30th to August 1st.Over the past decade, as an important pilot project for the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road", the construction of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor has achieved fruitful results and become a "new benchmark" for China Pakistan friendship. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the launch of the corridor, the Pakistani government will hold a grand celebration in the capital city of Islamabad.
The spokesperson stated that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic partners and "staunch" friends, and their friendship has remained strong over time. China looks forward to working with Pakistan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, continue the traditional friendship between China and Pakistan, promote the construction of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, consolidate and deepen the all-weather strategic partnership between China and Pakistan, accelerate the construction of a closer China Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, and contribute to the development and prosperity of the region and even the world.
The construction of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor began in 2013. In 2015, the governments of China and Pakistan signed over 50 cooperation agreements, determining a "1+4" cooperation layout centered on the construction of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, with Gwadar Port, energy, infrastructure construction, and industrial cooperation as the four major priorities. Corridor construction and Pakistan's development have entered the fast lane.
At present, the construction of Gwadar Port continues to advance, and the energy cooperation between China and Pakistan has achieved significant results. Many clean energy projects such as wind power and hydropower have taken root, and the power supply has reached nearly one-third of Pakistan's total; The Karakoram Highway Phase II Upgrade and Renovation Project, Lahore Rail Transit Orange Line Project and other transportation infrastructure are operating well and playing an important role; The first phase of the Lashakai Special Economic Zone project has been officially completed, marking another breakthrough in industrial cooperation between China and Pakistan; The new hybrid rice and rapeseed jointly researched by China and Pakistan are growing well.
Pakistani President Arif Alvi previously stated that over the past decade, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor has led the country's investment and construction in promoting Pakistan's industrialization process, playing an important role in promoting economic growth and improving people's livelihoods.
Zafar Udin Mahmud, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan and Chairman of the Pakistan "Read China" Forum, told Global Times on July 31 that China Pakistan industrial cooperation is continuously improving Pakistan's industrial development level and enhancing Pakistan's independent hematopoietic capacity. In the current global economic environment, such high-quality cooperation is even more precious.
Zafar gave an example that on the streets of Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, motorcycles produced with Chinese technology are scattered throughout the streets, greatly alleviating the foreign exchange pressure brought by imported vehicles for Pakistan; At the M3 Industrial Park in Faisalabad, ceramic products such as tiles produced with Chinese investment and technology have entered thousands of households in Pakistan, enhancing the independent capabilities of the Pakistani building materials industry chain; In many parts of Punjab and Sindh provinces, Chinese hybrid rice has become a popular planting variety, with a significant increase in rice yield per mu.
"The construction of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor has brought Pakistan high standard energy infrastructure and made important contributions to achieving sustainable economic, environmental, and resource development." Hassan Daud, Senior Advisor at the China Research Center of the Pakistan Sustainable Development Policy Research Institute, told Global Times reporters that Pakistan has overcome the power shortage crisis and is working hard to achieve the goals of clean energy and sustainable development.
Chinese companies in Pakistan told Global Times reporters about the changes brought by the China Pakistan Economic Corridor to the local area. The former head of China Overseas Port Holdings Limited stated that with the improvement of local ports, hospitals, airports, schools and other infrastructure, Gwadar has now transformed into a modern coastal city, with a permanent population of 220000 people in 2023, up from 80000 in 2013. China State Construction Corporation stated in a statement that the largest transportation project in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, the Peshawar Karachi Expressway, was completed in 2019, providing 23000 job opportunities for the local area. The project has also driven the development of service industries such as catering, retail, and transportation, indirectly creating over 45000 job opportunities.
Khalid Temur Akram, Executive Director of the Pakistan Community with a Shared Future Research Center, told Global Times reporters that the corridor project has trained a group of high-tech talents for Pakistan. During the construction of the corridor project, community public welfare projects were also carried out to update public facilities such as schools and hospitals, improve local people's well-being, and receive widespread praise from the local people.
