ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's top decision-making body for the prestigious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project will meet next week to "review progress" and decide on the future roadmap of the multi-billion dollar initiative, CPEC chairman retired Lt. Gen. Asim Saleem Bajwa said on Saturday.
The online meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) will be co-chaired by Planning Minister Asad Umar and Vice Chairman of China’s National Development and Reforms Commission Ning Jizhe, on Friday, July 16, Bajwa added in the Twitter post.
10th JCC meeting on #CPEC will be held on Friday,16th July 21,via video link. Will be CO-chaired by Planning Minister Asad Umar and Vice Chairman NDRC HE Ning Jizhe.JCC is the highest decision making forum on #CPEC,reviews progress&decides on future projects #cpecmakingprogress
— Asim Saleem Bajwa (@AsimSBajwa) July 10, 2021
CPEC is part of China’s broader Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to develop land, and sea trade routes in Asia and beyond and has seen Beijing pledge over $60 billion for infrastructure projects in Pakistan.
Established in 2015, the JCC is the highest decision-making body for the CPEC, particularly on the inclusion of new projects and to track their implementation.
Its last meeting was held in November 2019.
Last week, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong said that the CPEC had "moved from just focusing on infrastructure and energy, to developments in the sector of agriculture, industry, IT, science and technology."
He was speaking at a conference titled “Pakistan-China At 70: Vision for the Future” held at the Pakistan-China Institute in Lahore, Punjab, on July 8.
In a separate keynote address delivered via video link on the same day, China's senior diplomat Wang Yi urged Pakistan to promote "strategic communication" with China and "closer coordination on all issues of common interest."
“No matter how the world or the region changes, China will always stand firmly with Pakistan,” the Chinese state councilor and foreign minister said.
