Islamabad – Security of world’s highest strategic highway – the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) – will be discussed by a high level Chinese military delegation with Pakistani authorities in Islamabad next week, sources said yesterday.
“All the modalities related to the security of multibillion dollars project that envisages a modern road network linking Pakistan’s deep sea Gwadar port with Chinese border town Kashghar will be discussed next week,” a senior government official told The Nation.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said a high level delegation of Peoples Army from China is schedule to visit Pakistan to discuss the project, especially its security.
Pakistan Army has already created a full-fledged security division to look after the security of the project to be completed by 2030, which would cut significant time in transportation of goods from China to Gwadar port.
He declined to share exact schedule of the Chinese delegation but said that media will be duly informed about purpose and outcome of their visit.
On its part, Pakistan government is working day in and day out to complete a dual carriageway on western alignment of the project starting from Gwadar port upcountry to Kohistan district by December 2016, and a dual carriageway up to Chinese border town Kashghar in due course.
This would be followed by four to six lane parallel motorways as an alternate to be connected by other motorways/ highways throughout Pakistan.
Shipping executives say CPEC will help boost trade through this silk route and cut significant time in transportation of cargo containers from China to Pakistan in few days rather than a month to ship a container through Chinese seaports to Karachi ports.
They believed that CPEC will benefit not only China and Pakistan but also other regional countries, as Gwadar port will serve as transhipment hub for Central Asia and West Asia.
Gwadar port was built with the Chinese assistance and its operations were handed to a Chinese state owned company.
They were of the view that with such a huge infrastructure Gwadar port, once made fully operational, will affect business of other major regional ports including Jable Ali (Dubai) and Salalah ports.
Experts did not see Iran’s new Chabahar port as a real competitor saying Gwadar will have larger role as a regional port with Chinese state companies running it professionally.
Whereas Chabahar port is not going to be big enough to adversely impact Gwadar in any manner now or even ten years later.
Chinese special envoy lauds Pak’s role for Afghan peace
The newly appointed Chinese Special Envoy on Afghanistan, Ambassador Deng Xijun has lauded Pakistan’s role in facilitating peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan and commended Pakistan’s concerted efforts and huge sacrifices, in the fight against terrorism.
Talking to the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs (SAPM), Syed Tariq Fatemi on Friday, he reassured China’s continued support to Pakistan to address the common challenges faced by the region.
Fatemi felicitated Ambassador Deng Xijun on his appointment as Special Envoy and expressed hope that his presence would further strengthen the close cooperation and understanding, which the two sides enjoyed on important regional issues.
He underscored that peace in Afghanistan was vital for the peace and stability of the entire region and highlighted Pakistan’s role in facilitating an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process.
He emphasised that Pakistan and China had convergent interests and shared goals vis-à-vis Afghanistan and welcomed China’s growing engagement with Afghanistan, as well as its efforts for peace and development in the country.
The two sides also discussed the forthcoming Ministerial Meeting of Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process, which will be held in Islamabad next month, and reaffirmed their commitment to work closely for its success.
Published on http://nation.com.pk/national/07-Nov-2015/chinese-team-due-next-week-to-discuss-cpec-security