Pakistan has potential to become ‘hub of regional connectivity’ — Chinese envoy

ISLAMABAD: China’s Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing has said Pakistan has the potential to become a hub of regional connectivity and trade as Islamabad pushes to complete stalled projects under a multibillion dollar energy and infrastructure corridor sponsored by Beijing. 
In an interview to Pakistan news channel Geo News, which was aired on Monday night, Yao said Pakistan and China were working closely on the completion of projects under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), under which Beijing has pledged about $60 billion for infrastructure in Pakistan, central to China’s wider Belt and Road initiative to develop land and sea trade routes in Asia and beyond.
“Due to CPEC, due to our cooperation with Pakistan we would like to explore and will have full use of this potential for Pakistan as the hub for regional connectivity,” Yao said.
He said the deep sea port of Gwadar in the southwestern Balochistan province could be at the center of regional connectivity and a possible railway link from Gwadar to Kandahar or other parts of Afghanistan and to Central Asian through Afghanistan could become a key trade and transportation route. 
Gwadar is the crown jewel of China’s $60 billion investment in Belt and Road Initiative projects in Pakistan. The plan is to turn Gwadar into a trans-shipment hub and megaport to be built alongside special economic zones from which export-focused industries will ship goods worldwide. A web of energy pipelines, roads and rail links will connect Gwadar to China’s western regions.