The Caretaker Minister for Planning Development & Special Initiatives, Muhammad Sami Saeed, said that the second phase of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is in full swing as the interim government is committed to implement the development projects in letter and spirt.  The Minister made these remarks while speaking at Seminar on Belt and Road Initiative: “Paving the Path to Shared Prosperity”, organized by Centre of Excellence, CPEC, Quaid-e-Azam University (QUA) on Thursday.  Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, was the Chief Guest at the occasion, the conference was attended by the Vice Chancellor, QAU, Project Director, CPEC and hundreds of policy makers and experts were present at the occasion.

The third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation will be held in Beijing from Oct 17 to 18. Prime Minister Anwar Ul Haq Kakar will represent Pakistan. The forum will focus on Research and Innovation, Communication, Science & Technology, Industry, Agriculture, Energy, Tourism and other areas. Speaking at the occasion the Planning Minister Sami Saeed, said that BRI is not merely a network of roads and bridges it is a manifestation of our collective belief in the power of collaboration to create a world where opportunities are boundless and prosperity knows no borders. 

“The Second Phase of CPEC is in full swing as all projects are being supervised properly and the interim government is committed to implement the projects, " said the Minister, while appreciating China for consistent support in the implementation of projects. It is noted that the second Phase of CPEC has already started as both the countries have been celebrating the decade of CPEC.Despite facing challenges like security concerns, political instability and the Covid-19 pandemic since its inception in 2013, both China and Pakistan remain committed in the implementation of CPEC, which has evolved from a connectivity project to a symbol of enduring regional cooperation with far-reaching implications for development and stability, remarked the Minister.

During the Seminar, four sessions were held which included Trader & Industrial Cooperation, Cultural Exchange & Connectivity, Financial Sector Integration & CPEC & BRI Integration moderated by various experts while highlighting the key features of sessions. Highlighting the key achievements of Centre of Excellence, the Minister said that Centre is playing a constructive role in producing research for CPEC and in future more productive research work will be done. 

He said that the Centre on Modern Earth, Minerals & Natural Resources has been established at QUA which will work with the cooperation of China to modernize the mineral sector Speaking at the occasion, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, appreciated the Centre of Excellent CPEC and Planning Ministry for conducting this seminar which has a great significance especially at a time when BRI forum is going to start next week. Reflecting on the decade of CPEC's journey, the Chinese envoy praised the remarkable achievements made through the guidance of the leaders of both China and Pakistan. He recalled the historic visit of President Xi Jinping to Pakistan in 2015, which accelerated the large-scale construction of CPEC.

 Appreciating the constituent policies formulated by the Planning Ministry, the Chinese envoy said that China will continue to support Pakistan in implementing CPEC projects.  “The success of CPEC is attributed to its adherence to the principles of the BRI as the project exemplifies openness, inclusivity and mutual benefits, garnering support from the people of both China and Pakistan,” remarked the envoy, while appreciating Pakistan’s efforts for implementing the CPEC projects especially in the second phase of CPEC which has been kicked off. The Chinese envoy also appreciated Pakistan’s for taking extra ordinary security measures for the Chinese working in Pakistan.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China