Business Begins at China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
The Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Nawaz Sharif said Sunday that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has become a reality with starting off the first shipment of trade cargo from the Gwadar Port to international destinations.
Terming the arrival of the first trade convoy at Gwadar Port ‘a watershed event,’ Nawaz Sharif said the CPEC project, conceived by the leadership of China and Pakistan, had materialized, bringing a dawn of immense trade and commerce opportunities for the whole region.
CPEC is a series of ongoing projects that China is executing in Pakistan at a cost of USD $51 billion. These projects are supposed to upgrade Pakistani infrastructure, signifying strong economic ties between Pakistan and China.
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Addressing a ceremony of the launching of the first mega pilot trade cargo, Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan was a proud partner of China and assured that his government would leave no stone unturned to complete all the development projects under the aegis of CPEC on time.
He said the CPEC also manifested the desire of the leadership of two countries for shared prosperity through a broader and solid cooperation. He also lauded the Chinese President Xi Jinping for his vision of regional rosperity which, he said, conicided with Pakistan’s vision of development by 2020.
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Nawaz Sharif said President Xi’s vision of shared prosperity through greater connectivity was need of the hour in the conflict-ridden and increasingly polarized world.
The CPEC was the fusion of Chinese President’s concept of ‘one belt and one road’ project which came as integrating the trade and commerce activities of various regional countries through enhanced connectivity, thus transforming Pakistan into a major hub of trade and commerce, he added.
Nawaz Sharif also said Pakistan enjoyed the unique geo-strategical location, standing at the crossroads of three major engines of growth, including South Asia, China and the Central Asia.
Photo courtesy: Pakistan PM Office
