ISLAMABAD: A top Chinese official is scheduled to begin a three-day visit to Pakistan today, Sunday, to attend the 10-year celebrations of a joint corridor project launched by the two countries and interact with top leaders in Islamabad.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a significant infrastructure development and regional connectivity project, was launched by the two countries to build a major trade route between the Gwadar Port in southwestern Pakistan and China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang.
While the two sides agreed to work on the multibillion-dollar CPEC projects in April 2015, they became central to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which was first mentioned by President Xi Jinping during a visit to Kazakhstan in September 2013.
The BRI aims to recreate the ancient Silk Route, though on a much larger level, to connect China with a number of countries in its immediate neighborhood and extend to various areas in Europe and Africa.
“At the invitation of the Government of Pakistan, H.E. He Lifeng, Vice Premier of China and Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party will visit Pakistan from 30 July to 01 August 2023,” the foreign office said in a statement on Saturday.
“During the visit, Vice Premier He will attend the 10th-anniversary celebrations of CPEC and call on the President and the Prime Minister.” it continued. “He will also be the chief guest at an event celebrating the Decade of CPEC.”
The foreign office said the Chinese vice premier played a prominent role in China’s international economic relations and implementation of the BRI, of which CPEC was a flagship project.
“As the Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (2017-23), he was instrumental in the planning and execution of multiple CPEC projects in Pakistan,” it added.
Meanwhile, the administration in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad announced the closure of all schools, colleges, universities, private firms, markets and commercial banks on Monday and Tuesday.
The foreign office said the visit was part of regular high-level exchanges and dialogue between the two states, reflecting the importance Pakistan’s attributed to China which had always supported Islamabad’s core strategic interests.
China was also among the group of countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which rescued Pakistan’s economy by depositing significant amounts in its central bank and rolled over billions of dollars of loans.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also praised the administration in Beijing for financially assisting Pakistan in a selfless manner during his recent visit to Gwadar.
