H.E. Mr Yang Yundong Chinese Consul General in Karachi.
On July 31st, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to the Decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) celebration event held in Islamabad, Pakistan. President Xi Jinping pointed out that the CPEC has become a vivid example of the all-weather friendship between China and Pakistan, providing crucial support for building a closer China-Pakistan community of shared future in the new era.
The CPEC is a flagship project and an important pilot program for jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Since its initiation in 2013, with the joint efforts and support of the leaders of China and Pakistan, both countries have focused on CPEC construction, prioritizing Gwadar Port, energy projects, infrastructure development, and industrial cooperation. Together, we have painted a magnificent picture of “connecting Kashi in Xinjiang to Gwadar Port, traversing highland and canyons, and stretching across basin and deserts,” scripting a vivid story of BRI cooperation in South Asia and powerfully demonstrating the enduring friendship between China and Pakistan in the new era.
Over the past decade, significant progress has been achieved in the construction of Gwadar Port. The port now has three multi-purpose berths capable of handling 50,000-ton vessels, fully operational. The first phase of the Gwadar Free Zone has been completed. Projects like the East Bay Expressway, Vocational and Technical Training Institution are already in operation. Gwadar New International Airport, desalination plant, and China-Pakistan Friendship Hospital are scheduled for completion in succession. This shining “pearl” of the CPEC is accelerating its momentum towards becoming a strategic hub for logistics and industrial base.
Over the past decade, the energy cooperation projects have been fruitful. Sahiwal, Port Qasim and Hub coal-fired power plants were swiftly built and put into commercial operation at “China’s speed,” significantly improving Pakistan’s power shortage situation. Various energy projects, such as Karot Hydropower Project, Dawood Wind Power Project, Bahawalpur Photovoltaic Power Station, and K2K3 nuclear power units have enriched Pakistan’s energy structure. The Thar Coalfield Block I and Block II coal-fired power integration project has contributed to Pakistan’s energy self-sufficiency. The implementation of various energy projects along the CPEC has illuminated millions of Pakistani households and provided reliable power support for Pakistan’s economic development.
Over the past decade, there has been tremendous progress in infrastructure development. The East Bay Expressway, connecting the southern Gwadar Port area, was opened to traffic in June last year, providing faster goods distribution and import/export facilities through National Highway N-10 to Pakistan’s hinterland. The Sukkur-Multan section of the M-5 Motorway further opened up the north-south transportation artery, reducing travel time from Lahore to Karachi to less than 12 hours from over 20 hours. The Lahore Orange Line Metro system significantly facilitated daily travel and improved the living standards of local residents. The Karakoram Highway Phase II project is connected to the “China-Pakistan Friendship Road”, enabling cargo buses to directly reach the Khunjerab Pass. Many other examples exist. The infrastructure construction along the CPEC has unlocked the potential of the regions it traverses, paving the way for development and prosperity.
Over the past decade, remarkable achievement has been made in industrial cooperation. The CPEC construction has encouraged an increasing number of Chinese enterprises to come to Pakistan and engage in multi-field industrial cooperation, including agriculture, manufacturing, and textiles. In the M3 Industrial City in Faisalabad, ceramic products produced with Chinese investment and technology have reached thousands of Pakistani households, greatly enhancing Pakistan’s independent capabilities in the sector of building material industry. In many places in Punjab and Sindh provinces, Chinese hybrid rice has become a popular planting variety, significantly increasing rice yield. At the same time, cooperation in chili and canola planting is progressing steadily. The Rashakai Special Economic Zone Phase I built by Chinese companies, has been completed and begun attracting investment, while the Dhabeji Special Economic Zone broke ground in July this year. With the development of special economic zones, bilateral industrial cooperation is expected to grow even closer, laying a solid foundation for Pakistan’s industrialization process.
Over a decade of hard work has yielded fruitful results. The CPEC has made significant contributions to Pakistan’s economic and social development. By the end of 2022, the CPEC had brought $25.4 billion in direct investment to Pakistan, achieving cumulative revenue of $17.55 billion, cumulative tax payments of $2.12 billion, creating 236,000 job opportunities, and helping to add 8,000 megawatts of electricity, 510 kilometers of highways, and 886 kilometers of national core transmission lines. At the same time, the CPEC has deepened friendly exchanges between the people of the two countries. At least 20,000 Chinese people have come to Pakistan to participate in the CPEC construction, and currently, more than 30,000 Pakistani students are studying in China, with over 50,000 Pakistanis working in China. As the CPEC construction continues to deepen, the “ironclad” friendship between China and Pakistan will undoubtedly take a deeper root in the hearts of both peoples.
The ten-year journey of the CPEC has fully demonstrated the unique nature of China-Pakistan relations. Currently, the CPEC has entered its second phase, which marks a crucial stage of high-quality development. As emphasized in President Xi Jinping’s congratulatory message, looking into the future, China is willing to work with Pakistan to adhere to high standards, sustainability, and benefiting the people, continually perfect the layout and expand and deepen cooperation, making the CPEC an exemplary project for high-quality BRI cooperation. We have every reason to expect that the CPEC will embrace a brighter and more splendid next decade, propelling China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership to new heights and making greater contributions to the peace and prosperity of both countries and the region.
