Pakistan, China set to sign accords to promote Gwadar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China are set to sign some important agreements on Tuesday to provide strategic support to Gwadar sea port that is emerging as strong economic hub in the country and the region.

The agreements will be reached among the Chinese and Pakistani public and private sectors on the occasion of Gwadar expo, 2018 scheduled to take place next week.

The expo will be a big event in the history of Baluchistan for its socio-economic development giving further boost to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, said here by Jiang Han, political Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy.

About the agreements, he said these relate to poverty alleviation, development of industrial park and declaring Gwadar and Henan as sister cities.

About the significance of Expo, Jiang Han said it would be a big opportunity for the manufacturers, investors, entrepreneurs and government officials from countries of the region to interact with each other. Other than showcasing their company products, new avenues of trade and technology transfer would be discussed on the occasion.

Jiang Han also briefed the media about the significance of the under-construction Gwadar Airport, Gwadar East-Bay expressway and other socio-economic activities in the area. Gwadar port is the flagship project of the CPEC and will play an important role in the economic development of Pakistan and the region as well, he added.

In the social sector, Counselor Jiang said that Chinese companies had undertaken exemplary steps for the well-being of the local inhabitants of Gwadar under their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

Jiang also briefed about the document recently released by the National Bureau of Statistics of China, showing that China national economy maintained the momentum of stable and sound development.

In 2017, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, all regions and departments implemented the decisions and arrangements made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council.

They adhered to the general working guideline of making progress while maintaining stability, adopted the new development philosophy, focused on the supply-side structural reform and pushed forward structural optimisation, shifting of driving forces and quality improvement.

As a result, the national economy has maintained the momentum of stable and sound development and exceeded the expectation with the economic vitality, impetus and potential released and the stability, coordination and sustainability strengthened.