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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday emphasised that Pakistan's all-weather relationship with China was "unshakable" as he embarked on a five-day official visit to Beijing to further bolster bilateral ties and to launch the second phase of the multi-billion dollar CPEC projects in his country. Sharif will be in China from June 4 to 8 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. The 72-year-old leader embarked on his first visit to China after he took over as prime minister for the second term after his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party-led coalition government assumed power in March. During his visit, Sharif will hold talks with Chinese President Xi and jointly draw a blueprint for the growth of China-Pakistan relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in Beijing last week. During Sharif's visit, the two countries are expected to launch the second phase of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The CPEC, which connects Gw
Pakistan and China have agreed to invite third parties to participate in the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is a key part of Beijing's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, a top Pakistani diplomat has said. Pakistan's state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported that the country's ambassador to China Moinul Haque told China's official CCTV on Sunday that the two countries are now working to extend CPEC to Afghanistan. India firmly opposes the CPEC, which will link Xinjiang in China and the Gwadar port in Pakistan, because it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of China's ambitious multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI is seen as an attempt by China to further its influence abroad with infrastructure projects funded by Chinese investments all over the world. In his comments, the Pakistani envoy said the CP
The USD 60-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is running behind schedule with only three out of its 15 projects completed, according to a media report on Sunday. Till date, Pakistan has completed only three CPEC projects in Gwadar worth USD 300 million, Express Tribune newspaper reported. A dozen projects worth upto USD 2 billion remain unfinished including water supply and electricity generation, the news article quoted the CPEC Authority. The ambitious CPEC is a 3,000-km long route of infrastructure projects connecting China's northwest Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and the Gwadar Port in the western Pakistan province of Balochistan. India has protested to China over the CPEC as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). As per a progress review, the CPEC authority said all works relating to the socio-economic benefits in Gwadar were running behind schedule. The completed projects are USD 4 million Gwadar Smart Port City Master Plan, the Physical
The foreign ministers of China and Pakistan held their 2nd annual strategic dialogue on Friday during which they discussed ways to enhance their all-weather bilateral ties, the Kashmir issue, progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the Afghan peace process. Billed as highly relevant and very important by both the countries ahead of the meeting held in the southern Chinese island resort of Hainan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi discussed a host of bilateral, regional and international issues. A joint statement issued at the end of the meeting said that both sides underlined that a peaceful, stable, cooperative and prosperous South Asia was in common interest of all parties. Parties need to settle disputes and issues in the region through dialogue on the basis of equality and mutual respect. The Pakistani side briefed the Chinese side on the situation in Jammu & Kashmir, including its concerns, position and current ...