Gwadar-Faisalabad: Chinese express interest in road link

Trade between China and Pakistan likely to flourish.

KARACHI:

Chinese investors have expressed interest in construction of a road linking the Gwadar Port to Faisalabad which is expected to give a boost to economic ties between the two countries, a top trade official said.

The idea was floated by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani during a recent visit to China where financial institutions and investor groups looked keen on financing the development of infrastructure, energy and trade projects in Pakistan.

Trade Development Authority Chief Executive Tariq Iqbal Puri told The Express Tribune the prime minister invited the Chinese government and investors to invest in the development of small dams in Pakistan.

He said that during meetings with heads of Chinese financial institutions, the prime minister put the proposal of constructing a link road between Gwadar and Ratodero and a motorway between Ratodero and Faisalabad on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis. He said the implementation of the proposal would start a new era of economic cooperation between the two countries.

Puri said the Chinese government was interested in linking the trade of west China with Pakistan and an agreement had been reached for the construction of a trade corridor from Faisalabad to the Karakoram Highway. This project will facilitate access of Pakistani products to China, an important development in bilateral trade.

He said the Orient Group of China, which has purchased British Petroleum, had expressed interest in investing in port management, power and construction projects.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 27^th, 2011.