To mark 10-year CPEC anniversary: Chinese vice PM arrives in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Chinese Vice President He Lifeng arrived on Sunday in Pakistan on a three-day visit to mark the 10 years of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

As a special gesture for a strong ally, Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent He Lifeng, Vice Premier of China and Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of Communist Party of China, to Pakistan to attend the 10th-anniversary celebrations of CPEC.

The Chinese dignitary’s first visit saw him arriving on Sunday evening, where he was received by Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi and Chinese Chargé d’Affaires Pang Chunxue.

The capital was awash with buildings lit up in green and red lights to depict the colours of the flags of two countries all along the Constitution Avenue. Also, the President House glowed in these colours.

Pakistan sees this visit, which reflects the importance attached by Pakistan and China, to further deepen their “All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership”, reaffirm support on issues of each other’s core interests, enhance economic and financial cooperation, advance high-quality development of CPEC and explore new avenues for strengthening trade and investment ties between the two countries.

“Vice Premier He Lifeng has played a 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 the National Development and Reform Commission (2017-23), he was instrumental in the planning and execution of multiple CPEC projects in Pakistan,” said the Foreign Office while announcing the visit. The Chinese Foreign Office, commenting about the visit, said China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and ironclad friends. “The friendship is time honoured. China hopes that this visit will follow through on the important common understandings between the leaders of the two countries, further deepen strategic communication and practical cooperation, promote the building of an ever-closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, and contribute positive energy to the region and the wider world,” said the spokesperson at the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The vice premier, whose visit is a part of regular high-level exchanges between Pakistan and China, will also call on the president and prime minister.

Earlier, China had in talks at the foreign minister’s level also focused on Afghanistan and find ways and means “so as to build up consensus, consolidate mutual trust, and jointly contribute to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region”.

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.

To participate in the 10-year celebrations of CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) at the highest-level, invitations were sent to the prime minister, the four provincial governors, chief ministers and chiefs of the armed forces, Speaker National Assembly, chairman Senate and heads of constitutional institutions.