ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of China to Pakistan Yao Jing on Monday said that Pakistan should make China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a part of its national strategy as it would contribute to its long-term economic development as well as the development of the whole region.

He was speaking at a seminar on “CPEC: A Win-Win Project” jointly organised by Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Islamabad Institute of Conflict Resolution. The Chinese envoy said that CPEC was a win-win project for both Pakistan and China and it would further strengthen the bilateral relations between both the countries.

He said China considered Pakistan most reliable friend and wanted to see it economically developed as a strong Pakistan was good for China and for the region.

Jing said that amongst 6 corridors, CPEC was running smoothly and fast.

“China believes that CPEC would put Pakistan on the path of industrialisation, jobs creation and regional connectivity,” he said adding that CPEC would also help Pakistan in overcoming energy problems and improving its economic growth through the construction of roads and railways network.

He said that China wants the private sector of Pakistan to capitalise on CPEC for growth and expansion.

He said that the business community of Pakistan should get benefits from Special Economic Zones that are to be set-up under CPEC and develop mutually beneficial JVS with their Chinese counterparts.

Speaking at the occasion, Sheikh Amir Waheed, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry president appreciated the decision of the Chinese leadership to bring CPEC to Pakistan as it has started a new era of long-term business partnership between the two countries.

He hoped that CPEC would put Pakistan on the fast track of industrialisation and accelerate the pace of its economic development. Waheed stressed that CPEC should create opportunities for the growth of the indigenous industry and support in its modernisation. He assured that ICCI would collaborate with the Chinese embassy to promote business partnerships between the private sectors of both countries under CPEC.

Army Welfare Trust chief executive and member of the advisory board of Islamabad Institute of Conflict Resolution, Maj Gen (r) Raza Muhammad said that the CPEC dialogue started back in the 1980s and now this project was turned into a reality. He said that CPEC would revive the old silk route, develop strong connectivity between Kashgar and Gwadar, and would make Gwadar one of the biggest ports in the world. He urged that the government should focus on making Pakistan’s youth multi-skilled so that they could play a useful role in the execution of CPEC.

China has shifted from a controlled economy to a market economy and Pakistan has a good opportunity to learn from the Chinese experience to put its economy on the path of sustainable growth, he added.