NEWSLETTERIssue 14 May 2019•

Chinese Vice President, Mr. Wang Qishan called on President Arif Alvi in Islamabad last month and discussed ways to

cement ties between the two countries.

During the high-profile meeting, President Alvi underscored that Pakistan and China were linked by deep historical and

cultural ties, highlighting that 'All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership' enjoys unanimous institutional and strong

public support.

On the other hand, Chinese Vice President conveyed greetings of Chinese leadership and noted that the China-Pakistan

relationship continued to grow from strength to strength.

Minister Sets Timeline to Resolve Pending CPEC Issues

In line with the promises made earlier, the site office of Gwadar Central has been completely

established.

Besides office for accommodating visitors, the boundary wall has also been erected which means the

machinery required for development would be parked inside the premises for fast-paced progression of the

society.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar recently said that the incumbent

Government was committed to expedite implementation of CPEC projects and set timelines for resolving all the

pending issues related to the projects.

Chairing the progress review meeting on CPEC , the minister highlighted that the Government was committed to

development of Gwadar and provision of electricity and clean drinking water was the top most priority.

Khusro Bakhtyar shared that CPEC was progressing in the right direction and the incumbent government had

expanded its scope in consultation with Chinese government to focus on industrialization, agriculture cooperation and

socio-economic development.

The meeting was attended by Chinese ambassador Yao Jing, Project Director CPEC Hassan Daud and senior officials

from both sides; during the meeting, multiple projects related to infrastructure development and energy came under

discussion.

On the occasion, the Chinese ambassador appreciated the commitment of government of Pakistan for resolving all

pending issues and fast tracking the CPEC projects.

President Arif Alvi Highlights 'all-weather'Cooperation in Meeting with Chinese Vice President

Gwadar Central Site Office Completed

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Pakistan, China Sign Several MoUs in Diverse Sectors

Pakistan and China signed several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for cooperation in different sectors during

the visit of Chinese Vice President, Mr. Wang Qishan.

These MoUs, inked at the signing ceremony attended by Prime Minister Imran Khan, include cooperation in economic

and technical affairs, disaster management and assistance in agriculture sector of Lasbella University.

Iran Willing to Connect Gwadar with Chabahar Port

Iranian Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif suggested Pakistan that the country was ready to connect Gwadar with Chabahar

port, saying both would complement each other.

'We can connect Chabahar and Gwadar, and then through that connect Gwadar to our entire railroad system, from Iran to

the North Corridor, through Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, and also through Azerbaijan, Russia, and through Turkey,'

Zarif proposed as he met senior civil-military leadership of Pakistan last month.

If the proposal is executed, Gwadar's value would be enhanced as it would open new avenues of investment and

cooperation.

COPHC Established Specifically to Build Gwadar Port: Chairman

Zhang Baozhong, chairman of China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC) told a private TV channel that the firm

was specially-designed and purposely-built for the construction of the Gwadar Port by the Chinese government.

The official detailed that the objective of the company was to develop a strategically well-located port into a hub of

maritime trade for the whole region.

Baozhong elaborated that phase one of the free zone has been completed and has started rendering commercial benefits to

the tune of $100 million per year.

"We have teamed up with Pakistan's government to transform Gwadar into Pakistan's first emission-neutral and clean

green city," COPHC chairman explained.

Vice President Wang also expressed satisfaction at the growing bilateral economic and cultural ties and assured China's

support in advancing Pakistan's national development goals, appreciating the smooth progress of CPEC projects.

President Arif Alvi also conferred Pakistan's highest civil award, Nishan-e-Pakistan upon Mr. Wang Qishan

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4,000,000/-

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1,780,000

1,350,000/-

270,000