ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, said the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor will prioritize "high-quality development" and align with the country's national development goals. He emphasized that this phase will be a crucial driver of future prosperity, innovation, and shared growth.

Addressing a reception marking the 105th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China, Dar said CPEC had already transformed Pakistan's economy by addressing longstanding energy shortages and improving infrastructure.

Highlighting the future direction of bilateral cooperation, the deputy prime minister said CPEC 2.0 complemented Pakistan's economic agenda.

"I'm confident that this alignment of visions between China and Pakistan will bring even greater prosperity, innovation, and shared growth for our two peoples. Importantly, these shared priorities will give a fresh impetus to the efforts aimed at building the China-Pakistan corridor into a vibrant one and also the China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era," he added.

Dar said, “A mutually reinforcing relationship exists between the CPEC 2.0 and Pakistan's five E's framework for development that prioritizes exports, e-Pakistan, environment and climate change, energy and infrastructure, and equity and empowerment.”

"Not only did the CPEC expand the scope of practical cooperation, but it also helped Pakistan successfully overcome the daunting challenges of electricity shortages in pre-2013-14, and it supported Pakistan's economic development, and all the outages, which were almost 18 to 20 hours in the urban areas and 20 to 21 hours in rural areas, all vanished," he said.

Road networks

Dar said the corridor had also strengthened Pakistan's road network while creating jobs across the country.

"The CPEC also strengthened our road infrastructure while generating employment opportunities for our citizens, including in rural and less developed parts of Pakistan. Now, the CPEC second phase is focused on high-quality development, with priority areas including industrialization, agriculture, mines and minerals, IT and human resource development," he said.

‘Pivotal moment in history’

Dar described Pakistan-China ties as an "all-weather strategic cooperative partnership," saying the launch of CPEC in 2015 marked "a pivotal moment in the history of bilateral relations."

Reaffirming Islamabad's commitment to Beijing, he said Pakistan would "continue to work closely with China in the interest of not only our two countries but also for the international community," while expressing hope that the "timeless bond of friendship may continue to thrive, bringing more prosperity and happiness to our two countries and beyond."

Communist Party of China

CPEC 2.0 aligns with Pakistan's national development priorities: FM Dar