China to work with Pakistan to ‘implement Karachi project’
Karachi Metropolitan Corporation workers use heavy machinery to tear down structures deemed illegal during an on-going anti-encroachment operation in Orangi Town. PHOTO: ONLINE
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying has said that China is willing to work with Pakistan to implement the outcomes of the recently held 10th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) including the Karachi project.
“In the recently held 10th meeting of the joint cooperation committee of CPEC, China and Pakistan agreed to include the Karachi project in the CPEC framework and listed as an outcome of the meeting,” she said during her regular briefing while commenting on the inclusion of $3.5 billion Karachi Comprehensive Coastal Development Zone (KCCDZ) in the CPEC framework on Tuesday.
In a tweet, Prime Minister Imran Khan termed the inclusion of the Karachi coastal zone in CPEC as a game-changer and expressed the hope that it would help in cleaning up marine habitat for fishermen, develop low-income housing units and creating investment opportunities. It would put Karachi at par with the developed port cities.
Hua Chunying said China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperation partners and CPEC is a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). “China is willing to work with Pakistan to implement the common understanding of the two leaders and also the outcome of the JCC meeting.”
She said the Chinese side would ensure smooth operation and construction of existing projects and highlight the cooperation in health, green economy and digital areas.
“We will work on other fronts in our cooperation, improve the quality of the joint building of CPEC and provide new impetus to the development and the people’s livelihood,” she added.
According to Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on CPEC Affairs Dr Khalid Mansoor, the inclusion of KCCDZ in CPEC in the 10th Joint Cooperation Committee for CPEC would expand the horizon of development for the country.
Mansoor pointed out that it is an opportunity for international investors to invest in Pakistan. “The multibillion-dollar CPEC project has entered into its second phase. The establishment of Special Economic Zones and the involvement of private sectors would make Pakistan a manufacturing hub.”