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ISLAMABAD - China has agreed to provide grant for the solarization of 10,000 households in Balochistan, establishment of five burn centres across the country, provide 20,000 scholarships to Pakistani students along with other two dozen projects under the CPEC socio-economic development cooperation.

China has agreed to provide of one billion dollars for CPEC socio economic development cooperation to Pakistan and in the first phase both the countries have shortlisted 27 projects to be funded with China aid.

The agreement related to CPEC socio economic development cooperation was signed in April last during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to China for participation in the Belt and Road Forum. Pakistan and China have shortlisted 27 projects to be funded with China aid under CPEC socio economic development cooperation. The 27 shortlisted projects will be executed under the first phase of CPEC socio economic development cooperation, said the source.

Under the MoU in agriculture sector Bacterial Grass (JunCao) technology training and promotional project will be initiated, the official source told The Nation here Sunday.

Under the project, China will establish Bacterial Grass technology training and promotional centres at different suitable locations in Pakistan.

China will provide experts to conduct a preliminary research with Pakistan, said the source.

Under the agreed MoU, China will provide Pakistan agriculture and scientific training on mouth and foot disease, animal husbandry, cotton, fruit and vegetables processing, the source maintained.

In the education sector, four projects have been agreed which include provision of advanced teaching equipment for primary and secondary schools projects.

Under the project, China will provide teaching equipments and tools for 50 primary and secondary schools at district, tehsil and village level. The equipment and tools includes smart boards, interactive white boards, multimedia, computers, tablet computers, furniture and printers.

Under another project of education sector, China has agreed to provide 50 to 100 smart classrooms to the universities in Pakistan. The project for the maintenance and renovation of around 50 schools in the merged FATA districts is also part of the MoU.

Under the education sector cooperation china has agreed for the provision of 20,000 scholarships to Pakistani students.

In the medical field, seven projects have been shortlisted which include provision of equipment to 30 hospitals in Pakistan, construction of a hospital at Gwadar, cold chain equipment and transportation equipment and establishment of medical emergency center in Balochistan.

Under the medical cooperation, China has agreed to construct 20-bed burn centres each in Sindh, Balochistan and KP, while 10-bed burn centres will be established each in AJK and Gilgit Baltistan. The China-Pakistan joint telemedicine network will be established in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore.

In poverty alleviation sector, four projects will be funded which include provision of solar lighting equipment to 10,000 households in Balochistan, poverty alleviation courses, provision of emergency relief supplies for enhancing NDMA and the China-Pakistan rural poverty reduction joint research project.

In water supply field, two projects will be funded which include the provision of drinking water equipments to 800 water supply sites in KP, provision of water purification equipments to AJK and construction of 5000 tons desalination plant at Gwadar Special Economic Zone.

In the vocational sector, five projects will be funded which include Pakistan vocational schools upgrading and renovation of 50 schools across Pakistan, vocational and technical education capacity build-up project, Gwadar vocational and technical school project, cooperative project with Pak-Austria Fachhochschule institute of Applied Science and Technology and Punjab-Tianjin University of Technology projects.

These projects were shortlisted during the visit of the Chinese experts group to Pakistan.

The Chinese delegation headed by Du Zhenli, comprising of 13 experts from socio economic development field had visited Pakistan in February last. China has agreed to extend a grant of one billion dollars for the socio economic development under CPEC and the projects in six identified areas will be funded through the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA).

The provinces and regions had submitted around 100 projects to the Chinese experts to secure grant for the socioeconomic development under CPEC. The projects submitted by the provinces and AJK related to agriculture, fisheries, livestock, health, solarization of water supply schemes, telemedicine, smart schools.