Chinese vice premier to 'visit' Pakistan today

He Lifeng, the vice premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, is scheduled to visit Islamabad on July 30 (today) to participate in a ceremony celebrating 10 years of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

The Chinese vice premier will also meet with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during the visit, according to the FO.

The sources added that he will also hold meetings with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and other government officials.

The high-level visit by the Chinese government's representative will conclude on August 1, following which he would depart.

PM Shehbaz acknowledges CPEC's role

Earlier this month, PM Shehbaz lauded the CPEC project for playing a key role in transforming the development landscape of Pakistan with the launch of several multi-billion dollar projects.

Addressing a ceremony to mark a decade of the signing of CPEC, the premier acknowledged that the mega project helped Pakistan progress in the region and the world.

He added that the country ushered in a new era of development with the completion of hundreds of projects under the umbrella of CPEC, including coal-fired power plants, the Orange Line mass transit project, and road infrastructure.

"The CPEC is all about a story of hard work and untiring commitment between the leadership of Pakistan and China," he said.

Terming CPEC a “very transparent” project, the prime minister said the Chinese government and companies made investments of $25.4 billion investment in various projects.

He commended President Xi for his unstinted support of the CPEC for the well-being of the people of Pakistan. Sharif expressed confidence that CPEC would make a big kickstart in various areas including agriculture, special economic zones, information technology, and exploration of mineral resources.

What is CPEC?

Initiated in 2013 by then prime minister Nawaz Sharif, the multi-billion-dollar CPEC project was conceived and designed as the flagship project of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s signature Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Aimed primarily at harnessing Pakistan’s important geo-strategic location into geo-economic gains through improved regional and economic integration, CPEC encompassed a full spectrum of projects ranging from physical and digital connectivity to power generation and promotion of industrialisation through special economic zones.

After extensive research and consultations and deliberations between representatives of the governments of China and Pakistan, a comprehensive portfolio of projects was identified for implementation under the early harvest phase (2018), short-term projects (2020), medium-term phase (2025), and long-term phase (2030).