ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit China in the first week of next month to join the formal launching of the second phase of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, according to a media report on Saturday.
A source in the Prime Minister’s Office told the Dawn newspaper that Sharif was scheduled to leave for China on June 4, but the date of the visit could slightly be changed.
The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan’s Balochistan with China’s Xinjiang province, is opposed by India as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Infrastructure and energy projects were part of the CPEC’s first phase. In CPEC-II, both countries will focus on agriculture, Main Line-I of Pakistan Railways, businessmen-to-businessmen deals and realignment of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) etc. While presiding over a meeting of representatives of Chinese companies on Friday, the Prime Minister said Pakistan wanted to benefit from Chinese experiences to promote its IT sector and boost exports.
“China has an important role in Pakistan’s development. It has always helped Pakistan in difficult times for which the entire nation, including me, is grateful to the Chinese leadership and people,” he said.
He assured the Chinese firms that the security and protection of Chinese workers and citizens was the priority of the government. Thousands of Chinese personnel are working in Pakistan on several projects being carried out under the aegis of the CPEC. Some have been attacked in recent years by militants who accuse them of exploiting mineral resources.