ISLAMABAD: Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng arrived in Islamabad on Sunday on a three-day visit during which he will attend a ceremony planned to mark ten years of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
“During his visit, He Lifeng will call on President Dr. Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He will also be the chief guest at an event celebrating the ‘Decade of CPEC’,” a Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson said earlier on Saturday.
“Vice Premier He Lifeng has played a prominent role in China’s international economic relations and implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, of which CPEC is a flagship project.”
As the Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (2017-23), he was instrumental in the planning and execution of multiple CPEC projects in Pakistan, the press release issued by the FO added.
“The visit is part of regular high-level exchanges and dialogue between Pakistan and China. It reflects the importance attached by Pakistan and China to further deepen their ‘All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership’; reaffirm support on issues of each other’s core interests; enhance economic and financial cooperation; advance high-quality development of CPEC; and explore new avenues for strengthening trade and investment ties between the two countries,” the spokesperson further added.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Mao Ning also confirmed the visit on Saturday. Giving details of the visit, she said in a statement, “This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by President Xi Jinping, and also the 10th anniversary of the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).”
“Over the past decade, as an important pioneering project of the BRI, CPEC has achieved fruitful results and become a new benchmark for the friendship between China and Pakistan.”
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng has arrived in Pakistan to join in the celebrations for “A Decade of CPEC”, a flagship project of the BRI and a manifestation of the Pakistan-China win-win cooperation. pic.twitter.com/ybmJphbYDJ
— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) July 30, 2023
Grand celebrations to mark CPEC aniversary
“To mark the 10th anniversary of the launch of CPEC, the Pakistani government will hold a grand celebration event in the country’s capital Islamabad. Special Representative of President Xi Jinping and Vice Premier of the State Council He Lifeng will travel to Pakistan to attend the event and meet with the leaders of Pakistan,” she added.
Mao Ning said, “China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and iron-clad friends. The friendship is time-honored.”
“China hopes that this visit will be an opportunity for both sides to jointly implement the important consensus between leaders of the two countries, renew the traditional friendship, build on past achievements and upgrade the development of CPEC, consolidate and deepen the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, advance the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era and contribute to the development and prosperity of the region and beyond,” she added.
