CPEC long term plan launched
Shares
ISLAMABAD: China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project would turn ties between Pakistan and China into long-term strategic economic partnership.
Addressing an event for launching of Long-Term Plan (LTP) China-Pakistan Economic Corridor 2017-230 along with Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said, “launching of Long-Term Plan of CPEC will turn the China-Pakistan bilateral relations into long term strategic economic partnership.”
Iqbal said that the long term plan would expand the scope of cooperation in various new areas, including cooperation in social sectors along with economic fields.
He said that CPEC was a national plan approved by both the Chinese and Pakistan government. "It will effectively match relevant national plans of China as well as Pakistan Vision 2025,” he added.
“This plan is effective until 2030, the short-term projects included will be considered by up to 2020; medium term project up to 2025 and long term projects up to 2030” he added.
The minister said that during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Pakistan in April 2015, the all weather strategic cooperation partnership between the two countries was enriched with new connotations.
He said, “the two sides take CPEC as the core while prioritizing Gwadar, energy, transport, infrastructure and industrial cooperation which has opened a new chapter of development in the area.”
He said Chinese were doing what the Americans and the Europeans should have done after the end of the Afghan war that evicted the Soviets from Afghanistan. That war helped bring down the Berlin Wall, and made Europe safe. But we here in Pakistan are still paying the price for it.
The minister said that China had invested $46 billion when other countries were not interested to make any investment. “ Investment in difficult time by China had proven that China is time tested and true friend of Pakistan” he added.
He said through CPEC the dream of producing cheap energy from Thar coal deposits in Sindh was being materialized.
Iqbal said rail and road network was being laid across the country to connect Gwadar with China and other parts of the country which would boost regional connectivity and generate economic activities.
The minister said Pakistan and China are enjoying best exemplary relations. He said the two countries had relations for the last 66 years but these ties unluckily had not been transformed in robust economic ties.
He said everyone in Pakistan are admired of the development achieved by China but unfortunately Pakistan did not learnt from its experience. We have to learn from China that how to move to road to development, progress and prosperity for poverty alleviation.
The minister said the CPEC had transformed Pakistan completely, making it an attractive destination for foreign direct investment. The country portrayed as terrorist hub, has now turned into a safe haven for billions of dollars investment, he said.
Iqbal said international media had been declaring Pakistan a security risk but now “Pakistan is a safe place for foreign investment”.
He said China’s Foreign Director Investment was 13 percent of the total foreign investment in 2013, far behind other countries. But now after the CPEC, China has emerged as the top country in respect of FDI in Pakistan, he said.
“The size of a country’s economy now matters in world politics. Economic strength of a country defines security and future prospects. The CPEC has created conducive environment in Pakistan, guaranteeing its security and bright future, he said.
The minister further said that support and unity from the provinces on the CPEC had contributed to speedy implementation and completion of projects.
“Provinces’ role is important to provide adequate security to workers engaged in construction of CPEC projects,” he said.
He pointed out that 85 million jobs were going to be relocated out of China to developing countries due to increasing labour costs there, and Pakistan must make every effort to capture a large a share of the jobs.
He said so far China had materialised investment of 27 billion dollar in different CPEC projects in Pakistan.
The minister said in agriculture sector, trip irrigation system and technology would improve seed quality would be imported from China. He also dismissed the impression that China had stopped investment in the CPEC related projects.
“We have to make a pledge to work harder, best and smarter to make the Pakistan Asian tiger” he added.
Iqbal said a delegation of Pakistani investors was likely to visit China to explore further ways and means for export goods.
On the occasion, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing said China and Pakistan were enjoying cordial ties from the last many years and the CPEC would further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries. He said people of China and Pakistan people very close to each other.
He said the CPEC would not only bring development in Pakistan and China but the whole region.
Chief Economist Dr Nadeem Javid shared the salient features of the CPEC’ Long Term Plan (LTP).
