May 23 , 2015
News
Peking University symposium : Ahsan Iqbal vows to reap maximum benefits from CPEC
APPISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal on Friday said that maximum benefits would be achieved from the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) undertaken by both the countries.
“Bilateral cooperation would grow from strength to strength with the success of the corridor,” Ashan said while addressing an International Academic Symposium on CPEC held at the Peking University in Beijing.
The ultimate objective of CPEC is peace, prosperity and well-being of the people of the two countries, the region and the world, the minister said according to a statement issued on Friday. He hoped that the understanding on CPEC achieved during the symposium could lead to further improvements with regard to the corridor’s planning. He highlighted the recent progress on CPEC saying that the long-term planning on the project was expected to be finalised by July this year and the Working Group on Industrial Cooperation was also expected to meet around the same time.
Ahsan said that the land for Free Zone at Gwadar had been transferred to the Chinese company operating the port, for development as an industrial area. He said that it was hoped that economic activity along the corridor would flourish and more industrial activity would be generated in industrial zones and estates in Pakistan through forward and backward linkages. He said Pakistan would be keen to use the opportunity to set up enterprises that become part of the global value chain of products traded internationally. He added that both sides were committed that fruits of development of the corridor should benefit all areas of Pakistan consistent with the scientific planning parameters.
Addressing the symposium, the federal minister said that CPEC would connect the nodes of growth centres including significant growth centres of Kashgar, Taxkorgan, Khunjerab, Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Sukkar, Quetta, Karachi, Gwadar, etc and such other nodes/growth centres which may fall within CPEC in future. He said the corridor would be connected with trade facilitation corridors, dedicated freight corridors, energy corridors, trade logistics corridors, telecommunications corridors and other corridors of the like.
On the occasion, Pakistan Ambassador to China Masood Khalid described CPEC as a catalyst of regional economic integration and a vital bridge at the confluence of the Road and the Belt, being located at the crossroads of Central Asia, the Middle East and South Asia. He cautioned that CPEC should not be viewed through the prism of regional power dynamics, old style alliance formation or ‘zero-sum relationship’ among different countries.
“The spirit of CPEC is cooperation, not confrontation, a win-win project for everyone in the region and beyond,” he added. He said that CPEC would provide alternative livelihood, alleviate poverty and would act as a bulwark against forces of terrorism and violent extremism. It would tap Pakistan’s enormous natural and human resources, address acute energy shortfalls, modernise Pakistan’s transport infrastructure, inject strong impulse for economic development and help build a knowledge based egalitarian society as envisaged by Pakistan’s founding father Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, he added.
The two-day symposium is hosted by the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing, Pakistan Cultural Studies Centre at the Peking University, the China Silk Road Cultural Development Foundation along with Pakistan Cultural Study centres at Sichuan and Fudan Universities in China.
Participants from Pakistan included amongst others Prof Rifaat Hussain, Prof Hassan Askari Rizvi, Prof Moonis Ahmar and former ambassador to China Masood Khan. Participants from the Chinese side included Peking University Vice President Li Yanson, Prof Tang Mengsheng from Pakistan Centre at Peking University, Wang Linggui from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, representatives from the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission and other Chinese senior government functionaries.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk