CPEC to reap fruitful results as security assured

(Photo 1: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with visiting Pakistani Army Chief General Raheel Sharif in Beijing on May 16, 2006)

BEIJING-- The construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will be basically completed within the year. By then, goods from China are expected to directly come to the Gwadar Port in south Pakistan through the China-Pakistan land traffic lines, said a Pakistan military official.

Spokesman of the Pakistani military Lieutenant General Asim Saleem Bajwa made the remarks at a briefing in the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing on May 17, one day after Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's meeting with visiting Pakistani Army Chief General Raheel Sharif to enhance bilateral ties.

Experts believe that Raheel Sharif's visit to China has sent a strong signal that the two sides are gradually taking coordinated actions and accelerating the CPEC construction.

At the briefing, Asim introduced the Pakistani military's stance of full support to the CPEC construction and pointed out that the Pakistani military has not only offered security guarantees, but also participated in construction of some infrastructure in the CPEC.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani parliament set up a cross-party special committee about the CPEC which is scheduled to visit China soon and discuss the CPEC issues with China, according to Masood Khalid, Pakistan's ambassador to China, at the briefing.

Taking a look at the major projects invested by Chinese companies in Pakistan in the last decade (Table 1), it's not hard to conclude that the profound and traditional friendship between the two countries has sustained in spited of the regime change in Pakistan. Asim also said Pakistani military leaders' visit to China is aimed to carry forward the friendship and bring over the desire of Pakistani people to advance construction of the CPEC.

Table 1: Major projects invested by Chinese companies in Pakistan

The political situation in Pakistan tends to stabilize recently. As for outlook for the political situation in Pakistan, China's sovereign credit rating agency Sinosure gave a relatively optimistic expectation.

In its latest country risk analysis report, Sinosure pointed out that if the current government in Pakistan can make achievements in maintaining social stability, promoting economic development and improving the people's livelihood, rifts among the political forces will be closed gradually. From the current situation, the ruling party controls an absolute majority of seats in the parliament, showing a relatively stable position.

Echoing the Pakistani military's attitude in Beijing, the two countries reached a consensus about the final cost of the Gwadar-Nawabshah Gas Pipeline Project. Of the 1.35 billion U.S. dollars of investments, the Chinese partners will offer 85 percent and the Pakistani Government will provide the remaining, according to the Pakistani newspaper, The News, on May 14.

The pipeline is about 700 km in length. The project also includes a liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal in the Gwadar Port and is expected to be completed before the end of 2017. Upon its completion, it will help ease the energy shortage in Pakistan.