By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: China’s vice premier, He Lifeng, will arrive in Pakistan on Sunday for a three-day visit to mark the 10th anniversary of a major economic and strategic partnership between the two countries, the Pakistani foreign office said on Saturday.
He, who is also a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China, will attend a ceremony celebrating a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, as the chief guest, according to a statement from the foreign office.
“He Lifeng, Vice Premier of China and Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party will visit Pakistan from 30 July to 01 August 2023,” the foreign office statement said. “During the visit, Vice Premier He will attend the 10th-anniversary celebrations of CPEC and call on the President (Arif Alvi) and the Prime Minister (Shehbaz Sharif).”
The CPEC is a flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a vast network of infrastructure and trade links that aims to connect China with dozens of countries across Asia, Europe, and Africa.
The CPEC involves building roads, railways, power plants, and ports along a corridor that stretches from China’s western region of Xinjiang to Pakistan’s southwestern port city of Gwadar.
The project was launched in 2013, when President Xi Jinping visited Pakistan and announced $46 billion in Chinese investment. The amount has since increased to $62 billion, according to Pakistani officials.
So far, Pakistan has received $25.4 billion in direct Chinese investment in various CPEC schemes, the foreign office said.
He, who heads China’s National Development and Reform Commission, has played a key role in overseeing the planning and execution of the CPEC projects in Pakistan. He has also been involved in China’s international economic relations and the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative.
The foreign office said He’s visit was part of regular high-level exchanges and dialogue between Pakistan and China, which share a “time-tested and all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.”
China has been Pakistan’s closest ally and main benefactor for decades, providing diplomatic support, military assistance, and economic aid. In recent years, China has also helped Pakistan cope with its chronic balance-of-payments crisis by depositing billions of dollars in its central bank and rescheduling its loans.
Pakistan has also backed China on sensitive issues such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Xinjiang, where Beijing faces international criticism for its harsh treatment of Muslim minorities.
Pakistan has also sided with China in its rivalry with India, which has strained relations with both Islamabad and Beijing over territorial disputes and security concerns.
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