Pakistan hopes for the second phase of CPEC from Sharif’s visit to China, India may turn water
Shahbaz Sharif, PM of Pakistan.
Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif will go on an official visit to China later this month, where he will join the Asian Summit Conference (SCO). Pakistan hopes that the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) may have a formal beginning during this period. Pakistan Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal claimed this to reporters during a high -level meeting on Tuesday.
What is China’s CPEC plan
He said that the new phase of CPEC will begin during Prime Minister Shahbaz’s upcoming Beijing visit, in which priorities between the two countries will be clearly determined and the results will be agreed. Let us know that CPEC is part of China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It connects Pakistan’s Gwadar port to Shinjiang province of China. Its first phase included many projects related to infrastructure, energy and transport. Now in the second phase, focus will be on areas like Industrial Development, Agricultural Cooperation, Science and Technology, Information Technology and Human Resources.
Shahbaz will meet Jinping
The next meeting of the JCC (Joint Cooperation Committee) is likely to be held in October, but before that Prime Minister Sharif will attend the Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Sangathan (SCO) held in Beijing between 31 August to 1 September. During this visit, he is also likely to meet Chinese President Xi Chinfing and Russian President Vladimir Putin. This tour is considered to be very important for Pakistan from both diplomatic and economic terms.
India’s objection
India has always objected to CPEC. The main opposition of India is about the part of this project, which passes through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). India considers the region as its integral part and considers the activities here by any third party to violate its sovereignty and regional integrity.
UN has also raised the issue of India
India has raised this issue before the United Nations and China many times before. The Ministry of External Affairs has clarified that projects like CPEC should not be operated in India’s claimed area without India’s consent. India also believes that through this corridor, Pakistan and China are strengthening strategic alliances, which is a matter of concern for India’s security. (AP)
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