Pakistan, China to finalise roadmap for CPEC 2.0 at JCC meeting: Ahsan Iqbal

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal has said that Pakistan and China will finalise the strategy to implement the action plan for the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) during the 14th meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC).

Speaking before his departure on Sunday to attend the JCC meeting scheduled to be held in Beijing on September 26, the minister said the JCC session would give “practical shape” to the roadmap for CPEC Phase-II. “During Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent visit, the 2025–29 Action Plan was finalised. Now, we will evolve a strategy for its implementation,” he told reporters.

Calling China “Pakistan’s most reliable friend” that had stood by the country in every difficult time, Iqbal said both countries would “work step by step for mutual prosperity” in the coming years. He noted that Pakistan’s economic indicators were showing marked improvement and the country was “entering a new era of growth and prosperity” with the second phase of CPEC.

Reviewing the first phase, Iqbal said Pakistan had focused on infrastructure and energy projects, completing major schemes worth $33 billion through Chinese investment, including the Sahiwal, Port Qasim and Hub coal power plants, the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park in Bahawalpur and the Thar coal project.

He added that a network of motorways and highways had connected the length and breadth of the country, while Gwadar Port had placed Balochistan on the path of development. Iqbal said CPEC 2.0’s priorities included an “agricultural revolution, modern technology, green energy and special economic zones”.

During the prime minister’s recent visit to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, Pakistan and China agreed to align CPEC Phase-II with the government’s five-corridor ‘Uraan Pakistan’ framework — covering growth, livelihood, innovation, green economy and regional development.

Phase-II will create jobs, boost exports and lay the foundation for an export-oriented economy, the planning minister noted. He also noted that while China imports $2 trillion worth of goods annually, Pakistan’s share was only $3 billion — a gap that CPEC 2.0 could help bridge.