PM to discuss CPEC in maiden visit to China
During his two-day official visit to China, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Monday that he will speak with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang about revitalising the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
As one of the first few world leaders to travel to the neighbouring nation following the momentous 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which elected Xi Jinping as the party’s general secretary, the premier travelled for Beijing today.
The prime minister met with President Xi in Uzbekistan last month, and this will be his first trip to China since taking office in April 2022.
Shehbaz had earlier praised this “honour” as well as Pakistan and China’s ongoing friendship and cooperation in challenging times.
Leaving for Beijing today. Honoured to be among the first few leaders to have been invited after the historic 20th National Congress of the CPC. At a time when the world is grappling with multiple challenges, Pakistan & China stand together as friends & partners. 1/2
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) November 1, 2022
The “revitalization of CPEC,” among other crucial issues, will be at the forefront of the premier’s conversations with the Chinese leadership, he said.
According to a tweet from Shehbaz, the second phase of CPEC “promises to herald in a new era of socio-economic prosperity that would elevate the quality of our people’s lives.”
Pakistan, he continued, can benefit greatly from the “Chinese economic miracle.”
My discussions with Chinese leadership will focus on revitalization of CPEC among many other things. 2nd phase of CPEC promises to usher in a new era of socio-economic progress that will uplift quality of our people's lives. There is a lot to learn from Chinese economic miracle. https://t.co/A6knRLzN6l
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) November 1, 2022
Earlier, PM Shehbaz said he was looking forward to meeting the Chinese leadership for a series of “productive and fruitful meetings” aimed at enhancing business, strategic, and people-to-people ties. He was speaking to the first steering committee meeting of the Pakistan-China Business and Investment Forum (PCBIF).
He emphasised the necessity for Pakistan to closely resemble the Chinese growth model in order to advance and prosper sustainably. He also emphasised the significance of developing an atmosphere that is conducive to forging business-to-business relationships.
He urged streamlining business procedures in Pakistan to gain from China, saying, “Let’s join hands and move forward to create a win-win situation for the Chinese and Pakistani businessmen and investors.”
The prime minister referred to CPEC as a “game-changer” and recalled how the BRI’s flagship project assisted Pakistan in overcoming its severe power outages.
In order to take advantage of the inexpensive local labour, he emphasized the establishment of Special Economic Zones in Pakistan, where labor-intensive Chinese industries could relocate. He saw this as a win-win situation for business houses in both nations.
He praised the Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong’s efforts for making a significant contribution to advancing Pakistan-China relations in a number of areas.
Prior to his trip to China, Shehbaz also met with the Chinese ambassador, Nong, and spoke with him about a range of topics, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
A high-level delegation would travel with the prime minister to China, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. “The prime minister will see President Xi Jinping during his visit,” the statement read. “He will also hold delegation-level discussions with Premier Li Keqiang.”
PM to discuss CPEC in maiden visit to China
In addition, “the visit is expected to consolidate the momentum of CPEC cooperation in the wake of the 11th meeting of the CPEC Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) on October 27, 2022,” according to the statement. “The visit is also expected to advance the broad-ranging bilateral cooperation agenda with the conclusion of a number of MoUs/agreements in diverse areas.
