Islamabad, Beijing pledge support for next stage of CPEC
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal met Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong on Saturday to discuss the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), according to an official release.
Both officials reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, with a particular focus on industrial development and business-to-business cooperation under CPEC Phase II. Iqbal conveyed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's goodwill message to Beijing and praised China's support during recent regional tensions.
Read: Pakistan, China gear up for JCC talks
'The people of Pakistan take pride in the everlasting friendship with the leadership and people of China,' he said, noting that China's development model serves as an inspiration for Pakistan's move toward an export-oriented, technology-driven economy.
He highlighted that Pakistan's URAAN initiative, built around a Five Es framework, aligns fully with CPEC Phase II objectives to secure economic, social and institutional stability through people-centric reforms.
Iqbal stressed that developing a skilled, educated workforce and deepening B2B collaboration will be key pillars of the next CPEC phase. Weidong reiterated China's strong commitment to expanding cooperation across multiple sectors and praised Iqbal's leadership role in turning CPEC from a blueprint into a multibillion-dollar reality.
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