Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying has said that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project is an important one for both countries. “Construction of the CPEC is a cooperation framework that the two countries set up with an eye to the future development of a long-term relationship. This economic corridor construction is not only beneficial to Pakistan’s economic and social development, but can also, as part of the “One Belt, One Road” construction, promote regional connectivity and development of infrastructure construction. So we are willing to work with Pakistan to steadily push forward relevant corridor construction,” the Express Tribune quoted her, as saying at a daily briefing in Beijing.
Under the “One Belt, One Road” programme announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, China aims to invest in infrastructure projects including railways and power grids in central, west and southern Asia, as well as Africa and Europe.
The roads lie on the western route of CPEC, a $55 billion network of roads, rail links, power plants and other infrastructure connecting western China to Pakistan’s Arabian Sea port of Gwadar. They include roads from Raikot to Thakot, Yarik to Zhob and from Basima to Khuzdar, Zaman said, adding that the deal to finance the three roads was struck last month.
