On August 29th, 2016, the Inaugural Session of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Summit & Expo was held in Islamabad. Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Sun Weidong attended the inaugural session and delivered remarks. More than 600 people, including Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi, Parliamentary CPEC Committee Chairman Mushahid Hussain, Pakistani Ambassador to China Masood Khalid, President of China Institute of International Studies Su Ge, Vice President of China Green Economy Association Zhao Yanshu, and representatives from the enterprises and financial institutions of the two countries attended the inaugural session.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Sharif spoke highly of the achievements of China-Pakistan relations and progress of CPEC. He stressed that CPEC reflects the brotherhood of mutual-assistance between the two countries under the new circumstances, which is translating the unique friendly relations into substantive cooperation fruits. The successful state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pakistan last year greatly promoted the relations between the two countries and the construction of CPEC. Currently, the CPEC is under smooth implementation. CPEC will help Pakistan overcome energy shortage and improve transportation infrastructure so as to deliver benefits to all Pakistani people. CPEC will create a new model of regional cooperation, promote regional connectivity and inclusive development, as well as bring benefits to all the people in the region.
Ambassador Sun Weidong stressed that CPEC is a major and pilot project of the Belt and Road Initiative. Right now, CPEC has entered into full implementation and is making smooth progress in general. The progress of CPEC has played a leading and demonstrating role in the promotion of the Belt and Road Initiative and reflects the Silk Road Spirit. CPEC is also about projects of livelihood. It is aimed to give the people more sense of ownership. The fundamental purpose of CPEC is to achieve win-win cooperation, which will in turn help build more momentum for the promotion of community of shared destiny of our two countries. China sincerely hopes to see a peaceful, stable and prosperous Pakistan and is ready to work with Pakistan to achieve the dream of national development and people's well-being.
Minister Iqbal said that, with the unremitting efforts of both Pakistan and China, CPEC has entered into the stage of implementation from planning during the past three years. A number of energy and transportation infrastructure projects are being advanced on fast track. With this very impetus, China has become Pakistan's biggest source of foreign direct investment. CPEC opened a new chapter of China-Pakistan friendly cooperation and remarkably uplifted the political and economic relations between the two countries. The Chinese enterprises are welcome to make investment in Pakistan. It is hoped that enterprises from China and Pakistan could keep in close touch through the Summit & Expo, so as to promote the trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.
After the inaugural session, Ambassador Sun Weidong and Minister Iqbal visited the exhibition booths set up by the enterprises from two countries. They encouraged the entrepreneurs to seize the good opportunity of CPEC to strengthen communication and achieve win-win cooperation.
The one-day Summit & Expo is hosted by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform of Pakistan, including inaugural session, seminars, business to business forums, trade exhibition, among others.
