ISLAMABAD, Jul 29 (APP): Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday departed on a five-day official visit to China, where he would attend the launch ceremony of a Pakistani satellite as the chief guest.
During his stay in Beijing, the minister would hold high-level meetings with senior Chinese leadership, focusing on a wide range of bilateral priorities, including enhanced space cooperation, the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), trade, investment and infrastructure development.
He is also scheduled to review preparations for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s expected visit to China and the upcoming meeting of the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) on CPEC.
In a pre-departure statement, Ahsan Iqbal while highlighting the strategic importance of his visit, said Pakistan and China were expanding cooperation across multiple sectors.
“Pakistan is actively engaged and optimistic about learning from China’s developmental model,” he added.
He described CPEC as “a living symbol of Pakistan-China friendship” and emphasized that the second phase of the project would prioritize industrial zones, agricultural development, and high-tech collaboration, the areas he identified as critical for Pakistan’s future economic growth.