Chinese vice premier due today to mark 10th anniversary of CPEC project
Pakistan
The FO said that Lifeng will be undertaking the tour at the invitation of the federal government
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng will arrive here on a three-day visit here on Sunday (today) and attend a ceremony planned to mark a decade of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
A statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO) on Saturday said that Lifeng will be undertaking the tour at the invitation of the federal government “to attend a ceremony to mark the anniversary of CPEC as the chief guest.
The Chinese vice premier would also meet with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Dr Arif Alvi.
: PR NO. 1️⃣5️⃣8️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣3️⃣
— Spokesperson MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) July 29, 2023
Visit of Special Envoy of President Xi Jinping, H.E. He Lifeng, Vice Premier of China and Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of Communist Party of China
⬇️https://t.co/xAGWDfQzDR pic.twitter.com/fIa7hYYZ44
The FO acknowledged Lifeng’s “prominent role” in China’s international economic relations and implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, of which CPEC is a flagship project.
As the chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission from 2017 to 2023, he was “instrumental in the planning and execution of multiple CPEC projects in Pakistan”, the FO said.
“The visit is a part of regular high-level exchanges and dialogue between Pakistan and China and reflected the importance attached by both countries to further deepen their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, enhance economic and financial cooperation, advance high-quality development of CPEC and explore new avenues for strengthening trade and investment ties,” the statement added.
China has invested $30 billion in the project mainly focusing on energy and infrastructure projects. The second phase of CPEC envisaging special economic zones could not move ahead primarily because of the PTI government’s policy to slow down the project.
CHINESE FO STATEMENT
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Mao Ning said in a statement, “This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by President Xi Jinping, and also the 10th anniversary of the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).”
“Over the past decade, as an important pioneering project of the BRI, CPEC has achieved fruitful results and become a new benchmark for the friendship between China and Pakistan.”
“To mark the 10th anniversary of the launch of CPEC, the Pakistani government will hold a grand celebration event in the country’s capital Islamabad. Special Representative of President Xi Jinping and Vice Premier of the State Council He Lifeng will travel to Pakistan to attend the event and meet with the leaders of Pakistan,” she added.
Mao Ning said, “China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and iron-clad friends. The friendship is time-honored.”
“China hopes that this visit will be an opportunity for both sides to jointly implement the important consensus between leaders of the two countries, renew the traditional friendship, build on past achievements and upgrade the development of CPEC, consolidate and deepen the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, advance the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era and contribute to the development and prosperity of the region and beyond,” she added.
HOLIDAY
Meanwhile, a notification issued by the district magistrate of Islamabad said that all public and private schools, universities and colleges, all private companies, all markets and shops, and all commercial banks would remain closed on July 31 (Monday) and August 1 (Tuesday).
