Pakistan, China agree to outline future direction of Phase-2 of CPEC

ISLAMABAD  –  To outline the future direction of the Phase-2 of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives in coordination with the National Development and Reform Commission of China will arrange high-level workshops for bringing together experts from both sides.

This was stated by Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives in a meeting with the Chinese ambassador to Pakistan. Jiang Zaidong, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, called on Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, here Thursday.

The meeting was attended by senior officials, including the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Tariq Fatemi; the secretaries of Communications, Railways, and Interior; as well as senior officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Planning.

Minister Ahsan Iqbal, in his opening remarks, condemned the recent attack on Chinese nationals in Karachi, emphasizing that Pakistan will take all necessary measures to bring the perpetrators to justice.

He stated, “This heinous act, clearly aimed at damaging Pakistan-China relations, will not be tolerated.” The government and people of Pakistan stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our Chinese friends during this challenging time and extend our sincere condolences to the families of the victims.” He assured the ambassador that the safety of Chinese nationals in Pakistan remains a top priority, and Pakistan will continue working closely with China to ensure the security of Chinese citizens, projects, and institutions.

Highlighting the robust bilateral ties, Ahsan Iqbal appreciated the recent visit of the Chinese Premier to Pakistan, emphasizing the need for concrete mechanisms to ensure smooth and effective implementation of bilateral projects. “Concerned ministries are developing their roadmap/action plan for effective implementation of consensus reached by the leadership of both countries during the recent visit to make CPEC Phase-II successful and to implement recommendations by the Chinese experts,” noted the minister.

Both sides deliberated on advancing key projects, including the Karachi-Hyderabad section of Main Line-1 (ML-1) and Karakoram Highway (Thakot-Raikot Section) project, and agreed to accelerate the projects’ timely execution. Regarding the Gwadar Port and Free Zone, both sides expressed a mutual commitment to ensuring the continued development of Gwadar in a holistic manner. Ambassador Jiang Zaidong expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s comprehensive engagement and stated: “During the visit of the Prime Minister of Pakistan to China in June, 2024, leadership of both countries agreed to promote cooperation in the areas of politics, international affairs, pragmatic projects and security”. “The recent visit of Chinese Primer to Pakistan is the continuity of this cooperation,” the ambassador stated. He said Pakistan and China share unbreakable iron brother bond. The leaders of both countries are committed to fostering the relationship to new heights.

Ambassador Jiang Zaidong said Chinese side is ready for collaboration in areas of agriculture, mines & mineral, industrial cooperation on priority basis. Ahsan Iqbal highlighted the importance of convening the joint working groups meetings. Minister Iqbal further added: “Ministry of Planning holds a fortnightly CPEC progress review meetings with all federal and provincial stakeholders to ensure smooth implementation of CPEC projects”. The minister also stated that the Ministry of Planning is in coordination with the National Development and Reform Commission of China to arrange high-level workshops for bringing together experts from both sides to outline the future direction of CPEC Phase-2. This initiative aims to define the specific goals and scope of CPEC’s “five corridors” and align them with, “Eight Points Roadmap of BRI”, and “5Es Framework of Pakistan”.