Japan wants Pakistan to open CPEC for other countries

KARACHI: Japan, Pakistan’s decades’ old business partner, believes that Pakistan should open China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for countries willing to be the part of the mega plan.

“At the moment, only Chinese and Pakistani companies can undertake projects in CPEC, if these restrictions are removed many private businesses in Japan may be interested in investing,” Toshikazu Isomura, consul general of Japan in Karachi, said in an interaction with newsmen recently. He said Japan is Pakistan’s partner since long and 82 Japanese companies were already operating in Pakistan.

“Japanese companies have invested over $500 million in the country in last three years,” Isomura said in a briefing regarding State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Nobuo Kishi’s recent visit to Karachi.

The Japanese consul general said their state minister had meetings with Prime Minister and other functionaries and discussed issues of bilateral interest. Easing of tariff barriers on import of Pakistan’s textile and leather products in Japan was also discussed.

Talking about CEPC, Isomura said, “The project is good for Pakistan and good for the region. Pakistan should open it for its old business partners.”