BEIJING: Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Masood Khalid Saturday said theindustrial cooperation was an important component of the China-PakistanEconomic Corridor (CPEC) and now the two countries were jointly working forestablishment of special industrial zones in Pakistan.
“China has a vast experience of setting up industrial parks and economiczones and Pakistan will establish special economic zones with itscooperation to strengthen economy and create employment opportunities forthe local people,” he said while addressing a seminar held here to discussindustrial cooperation between China and Pakistan and setting up ofeconomic zones under the CPEC framework.
The seminar organized by Pakistani Center for Studies at Peking Universitywas attended by diplomats, intellectuals and academicians from the twocountries.
Ambassador Khalid said China and Pakistan were strategic partners and allweather friends and added that both the countries had historical anddeep-rooted relations based on mutual trust.
He said the relations between the two countries had been strengthening withthe passage of time and now the Pak-China friendship was an example forother countries of the region.“The CPEC is a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative andreflective of the vision of top leadership of the two countries,” he added.
Ambassador Khalid said the CPEC project witnessed progress since itsbeginning in 2013 as a number of electricity generation projects had beencompleted to overcome electricity shortage in the country.
Pakistan, he said, was determined for the successful completion of CPECprojects and the government had made comprehensive arrangements for thesecurity of Chinese citizens working on the projects under CPEC.
He said the CPEC would not only promote peace and stability but also bringeconomic prosperity in the region.
Ambassador Khalid expressed the confidence that the CPEC would play animportant role for the economic development of both China and Pakistan andbenefit their people.
Director CPEC Project in the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms,Hassan Dawood Butt, informed the participants that there was a consensusbetween Pakistan and China to enhance industrial cooperation at a fastpace. In that regards, the Chinese experts were working with the Pakistaniinstitutions, he added.
Head of SDPI, Abid Qayyum Sulehri said the country’s economy would registera higher growth with the establishment of special economic zones in thecountry, alleviate poverty and create employment opportunities for localpeople.
Other speakers expressed satisfaction over the pace of work on the projectsbeing completed under CPEC and said it was an example for other countriesof the Belt and Road Initiative.