Majority of Gwadar CPEC projects completed: envoy

The Chinese Consul General in Karachi, Li Bijian, disclosed that the majority of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Gwadar CPEC projects had been finished.nnDuring his visit to the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), the senior diplomat insisted that Pakistan-China ties were not restricted to CPEC, despite its importance in regional growth.nn“The majority of Gwadar CPEC projects have been finished, with Gwadar emerging as the most important in the region. Gwadar CPEC is a significant aspect of Pakistan-China cooperation, but the relationship between the two nations and the business sector is much deeper than that,” he argued.nnBijian voiced worry over Pakistan’s low-income class and stated that attempts were being made to help Pakistan out of its economic woes.nnKATI President Salman Aslam stated that China is a brotherly country to Pakistan and that connections between the two countries are extremely good. “CPEC projects are critical to the economies of both nations,” he continued.nnThe Chinese envoy informed KATI authorities that China has invested in a number of projects, including a training center, an airport, and Gwadar Port. He expressed happiness that Pakistan’s electricity issue has been addressed as a result of CPEC.nn“Development work on Gwadar Airport is 90% complete, and the airport will begin operations in 2023,” he said. nnBijian emphasized that a hospital was also being built in Gwadar and that it was planned to open next year.nnHe underlined that there were several trade prospects for Pakistani businessmen and investors in China.nn“China has a 500 million middle-class population, and that could be a large market for Pakistan.” Pakistan can sell fruits and vegetables to China, and China has a massive seafood industry, including rice and fish, that Pakistani exporters may fully exploit,” he remarked.nnFurthermore, he stated that collaboration between the two nations in the fields of information technology (IT) and electric cars may be expanded further.nnBijian urged that the two nations devise a plan to expand Pakistan’s export volume through trade, asking Pakistani entrepreneurs to take advantage of the two countries’ free trade agreement (FTA).nnThe KATI president stated that they will inform the Chinese Consulate of his plans to increase exports.nnDanish Khan, former president of KATI, stated that Chinese investors should establish factories in Pakistan and advocated for collaborative trade shows to showcase Pakistani products.