BEIJING – Prime Minister Imran Khan and China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) head He Lifeng held a virtual conference on Friday to examine the status of ongoing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects and discuss plans for future initiatives.
For the meeting, the premier was accompanied by cabinet ministers and senior officials, while He Lifeng was accompanied by NDRC Vice Chairmen Ning Jizhe and Tang Dengjie, as well as other top NDRC officials.
According to a statement released after the meeting, the premier stated that the Pakistan-China alliance was time-tested and timeless. “Work on all CPEC projects advanced steadily despite the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to cooperative collaboration of both sides,” the statement stated, adding that “the prime minister praised efforts of the NDRC and relevant agencies of both sides in this regard.”
PM Imran emphasised that CPEC, as the flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), was strategically important for both Pakistan and China, and that it was providing substantial benefits to the two nations’ people. He expressed his delight that the CPEC’s early-harvest projects had revolutionised Pakistan’s economic landscape, creating a solid foundation for long-term progress.
The PM reaffirmed the two sides’ commitment to the timely completion of CPEC and its high-quality development, saying that both sides would continue to push for Gwadar’s potential as a regional trade and industry hub, while also prioritising preparatory work on the ML-I and other key energy projects.
In his remarks, the NRDC chairman stated that China views CPEC as extremely important and is committed to its continued advancement and development. In the previous seven years, China has surpassed the United States as Pakistan’s top investment and trade partner, and both countries are eager to sustain the momentum of overall economic and trade ties in the future.
He went on to say that the NDRC, as well as all other relevant Chinese agencies, would keep working to encourage Chinese state-owned and private firms to invest in CPEC projects. Both parties had committed to construct new green, digital, health, trade, and industry corridors in this respect, according to the statement, which would promote sector-wise collaboration in these areas.
He Lifeng underlined China’s willingness to assist Pakistan in the areas of industrialization, agricultural modernization, science and technology, and socio-economic development, thanking the prime minister for his strong support.
Both sides applauded the signing of the Framework Agreement on Industrial Cooperation between the Board of Investment (BOI) and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), which will, among other things, make it easier for Chinese industrial units to relocate to CPEC SEZs and accelerate investment from China and elsewhere.
Both sides also signed the minutes of the 6th Joint Working Group on Gwadar meeting, which took place on December 30, 2021. Planning Minister Asad Umar and NDRC Vice-Chairman Ning Jizhe both signed the minutes.
