ISLAMABAD – Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan will begin a three-dayofficial visit to China beginning on Monday, during which both countriesare likely to discuss the next steps in the multi-billion dollarChina-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, a media report has said.
The CPEC is a flagship infrastructure-related project conceived by ChinesePresident Xi Jinping in Pakistan as part of the expanded multi-billiondollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that proposes to link the continentsof Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar hassaid.
“All existing projects under the CPEC portfolio have been streamlined andthere is no slowdown anywhere”, the minister said, while rejecting reportsabout CPEC projects experiencing a slowdown as speculative.
Pakistan plans to get China involved to construct an overland liquefiednatural gas (LNG) terminal, a 7,000-megawatt hydropower project in theGilgit-Baltistan region, and oil refineries, the minister added.
Pakistan is also keen to offer China a joint venture stake in thegovernment-owned, but cash-starved, Pakistan Steel Mills, he said.
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The modernisation of a railway project between the Pakistani cities ofKarachi and Lahore and participation in agriculture and socialsector-related projects which fall outside the CPEC ambit are also underconsideration, he added.
In the energy sector, Islamabad will formally request Beijing forassistance in reducing its current annual oil import bill of $14 billion by$1.5 billion, the minister said.
Chairing a meeting related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor lastweek, Prime Minister Khan stressed on removing all bottlenecks to ensurethe timely completion of the projectslink,Sputnik has reported.
