February 5, 2022: Pakistan and China would continue expediting efforts to achieve Gwadar’s potential as a hub of regional commerce and industry while also prioritizing preparatory work on the ML-I and other key energy projects, Prime Minister Imran Khan said during a virtual meeting with Mr He Lifeng, Chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said a press release issued on Friday.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, work on all CPEC projects progressed steadily due to joint cooperation of both sides, he added.
The Prime Minister appreciated the efforts of the NDRC and relevant authorities of both sides in this regard.
He reiterated that as the flagship project of BRI, CPEC had strategic significance for both Pakistan and China and was delivering tangible benefits to the people of the two countries. He noted with satisfaction that CPEC’s early-harvest projects have transformed Pakistan’s economic landscape thus laying a solid foundation for sustainable economic growth.
In his remarks, Chairman NDRC said that China attached immense significance to CPEC and was firmly committed to its steady progress and development. He noted that China has become Pakistan’s largest investment and trade partner in the last seven years and both sides were keen to maintain the momentum of overall economic and trade ties in future as well.
He added that NDRC and all relevant Chinese institutions would continue their efforts to encourage Chinese state-owned and private enterprises to invest in CPEC projects. In this regard, both sides had decided to establish new green, digital, health, trade and industry corridors, which would enhance sector-wise cooperation in these areas.
Thanking the Prime Minister for his firm support, Mr He Lifeng expressed China’s readiness to assist Pakistan in the areas of industrialization, agricultural modernization, science and technology and socio-economic development.
Both sides welcomed the signing of the Framework Agreement on Industrial Cooperation between the Board of Investment (BOI) and the NDRC which would, inter alia, facilitate the relocation of China’s industrial units to CPEC SEZs and accelerate investment from China and elsewhere.
Both sides reiterated the importance of people-to-people contacts, tourism cooperation and cultural exchanges for strong bilateral relations.
Building on the MoU on Tourism Exchanges and Cooperation signed in November last year, the two sides agreed to celebrate the Pakistan-China Year of Tourism Exchanges in 2023 and to establish strong linkages between the tourism promotion agencies and private enterprises of the two countries.
Both sides agreed to continue the momentum in defence cooperation at various levels between the armed forces of Pakistan and China. They underscored that stronger defence and security cooperation between Pakistan and China was an important factor of peace and stability in the region.
On Afghanistan, the two sides agreed that a peaceful, stable, united, safe, and secure Afghanistan is fundamental for prosperity and progress in the region. They expressed satisfaction with the outcome of two Foreign Ministers' meetings of the six neighbouring countries on Afghanistan and looked forward to its next meeting to be held in China.
They are ready to discuss with Afghanistan the holding of the China-Pakistan-Afghanistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue.
The two sides underscored the need to expedite humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and its people to avert the looming crisis and called upon the international community to provide continued and enhanced assistance and support to Afghanistan including through unfreezing of Afghanistan’s financial assets. The two sides are ready to discuss with Afghanistan the extension of CPEC to Afghanistan.
The Chinese side appreciated Pakistan for hosting the 17th Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers on Afghanistan on 19 December 2021.
The two sides signed a number of agreements / MoUs, covering bilateral cooperation in areas of economic and technical, industry, investment, infrastructure, space, vaccine, digitalization, standardization, disaster management, culture, sports and vocational education.
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