BEIJING, May 28 (APP):China-Pakistan cooperation in the next phase will focus more on benefiting people through local projects that improve livelihood along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Chinese expert said as Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan was visiting Pakistan and the two countries boosted their cooperation on multiple projects.
Lin Minwang, a professor at Fudan University’s Center for South Asian Studies, told the Global Times that the Pakistani government hoped construction of the CPEC brought more benefits to the locals, so Wang’s visit and the documents signed by the two countries showed that China was giving a positive response and taking concrete steps to support its partner.
Wang and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday launched four mega development projects in the fields of energy, technology and education under the CPEC, according to the website of the corridor project.
The first project was a 660-kilovolt transmission line to be laid between Matiari and Lahore and transmit power from coal plants located at Thar, Port Qasim and Hub.
The project would have the capacity to supply 2,000 megawatts with a 10 percent overload capability for two hours.
The second one was the Rashakai Special Economic Zone project to promote industrialization through optimally priced, world-class industrial infrastructure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The project was designed and set to become “the key trade and logistics hub connecting Kashgar, Kabul and Gwadar on the Belt and Road, and be a high-end host of international commercial, technological and manufacturing hub.
These projects could bring jobs and boost economic income for the ordinary people as well as living standards as more stable electric power is provided, Lin said.
“Khan’s government wants to make Pakistani people really feel the change and benefits brought from the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and the CPEC,” he said.
The Confucius Institute at the University of Punjab was also launched at the ceremony. The institute mainly provided education of Chinese language, cultural promotion and cultural exchanges and other projects and activities.
With the development of the CPEC, the demand for Chinese speakers in Pakistan would be increased and it was important for China to build more such institutes in Pakistan, Lin noted.
The ceremony attended by Wang and Khan also marked the launch of the Huawei Technical Support Center to be established in Pakistan as part of Chinese tech giant’s commitment to make a massive investment in Pakistan.
The activities of Chinese firms in Pakistan would increase for sure and the use of Huawei equipment in Pakistan would also be increased, Lin noted.
Establishing a technical support center showed that the two sides wanted to reinforce technological support for CPEC construction, he said.
