Pakistan, China set to revive project on economic corridor

Plan to link Xinjiang to Gwadar has stalled due to delays, financial issues, terrorism

- Ashraf Khan

Ahead of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's visit to China from June 4, hopes are high in Islamabad that the flagging multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will be revived.

This is after a successful visit in mid-May by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to Beijing, at which pledges were made by both sides to put the massive investment plan back on track, after it has languished in recent years because of project delays, financial problems and a spate of deadly terrorist attacks on Chinese nationals working on the projects.

"We have achieved much of what we wished for from this visit," Mr Dar declared at a press conference on his return to Islamabad.

Earlier in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at his joint press conference with Mr Dar had said: "The two sides agreed to strengthen the docking of development strategies and build an upgraded version of CPEC."

Mr Muneeb Salman, a research associate at Pakistan's Institute of Strategic Studies, said: "Mr Dar has set the stage now and we expect to see meaningful developments in the CPEC during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Beijing."

Mr Sharif is expected to follow up on the recent progress made during Mr Dar's visit and seal further agreements when he travels to Beijing.

Apart from meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping, Mr Sharif will be holding talks with Premier Li Qiang on topics such as upgrading of the CPEC, advancing trade and investment and enhancing cooperation in security and defence, energy, space, science and technology, and education. He will also meet executives of Chinese companies in the fields of oil and gas, energy, information and communications technology, and emerging technologies, according to a statement from Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.