Pakistan, China to celebrate 10 years of BRI and CPEC on July 5.

ISLAMABAD    -    High-level Chinese delegations are scheduled to vis­it Pakistan to witness the achievements made since the inception of CPEC as both the countries will be celebrating decade of the BRI and CPEC on July 5, 2023. The BRI initiative was taken for the first time in 2013, when then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif met Chinese prime minister Li Keqiang in Beijing and 2023 will be marked the decade of CPEC and the strong partnership between Pakistan and Chi­na, Federal Minister for Planning Development & Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said while talking to international media here yesterday. He said that the focus was on connecting China with the Chinese-in­vested Pakistani port of Gwadar through highway, rail and pipeline infrastructure. The minister also rejected the perception that China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a ‘debt trap’. “I don’t think it’s a ‘debt trap’ as I believe it’s a fact trap to distort the spirit of BRI,” said the minister in response to neg­ative perceptions against the BRI. He stated that stories were made to create propaganda in glob­al geopolitics of competition. “Wherever BRI has gone, the local people can testify that it has had a very positive impact,” he maintained. 

The Planning Minister appreciated China for ex­tending BRI to Pakistan in the shape of CPEC that has given Pakistan a great opportunity in areas of ener­gy, infrastructure, telecommunication, industrial co­operation and in unlocking hidden treasures like the Thar Coal Project. He described the significance of the project, stating that Gwadar Port City is set to become a major trade and commerce hub in the re­gion with its Free Zone and investment from Chinese companies. He highlighted the strategic location and potential for trade in Gwadar, stating that goods can be shipped to China through Gwadar in almost one-tenth the distance from the South China Sea. The progress and implementation of CPEC projects have been personally supervised by Prime Minister Sheh­baz Sharif, and despite negative perceptions, the gov­ernment has reiterated its commitment to complet­ing the projects on time.