Senator Mushahid to represent Pakistan at Asian Political Parties' Conference on Silk Road" in Beijing

Date : 10-10-2015

Islamabad, Oct 10: Chairman Parliamentary Committee on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed will represent Pakistan at the "Asian Political Parties' Special Conference on the Silk Road" being held in Chinese capital city Beijing from Oct. 14 to 16.

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a vital part of Silk Road Initiative – a vision and strategy of China to expand cultural and economic ties with Eurasian countries through cooperation and communication.

The theme of the conference will be "New Vision of the Silk Road, Actions for Common Development." At the invitation of the Communist Party of China (CPC), members of over 50 political parties and organizations from more than 30 countries will participate in a special conference on the Silk Road Economic Belt in Beijing next week.

The special conference will help countries increase their understanding of the Belt and Road initiative, as well as deepen cooperation between Asian countries and other countries along the Silk Road, said the department.

In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative to promote connectivity, cooperation and common prosperity along the ancient land and maritime Silk Road trade routes.

The Belt and Road routes run through Asia, Europe and Africa, connecting the vibrant East Asia economic circle at one end and the developed European economic circle at the other, and encompassing countries with huge potential for economic development, according to an official publication by the Chinese government.

Meetings of business leaders and media organizations will also be held on the sidelines of the conference.

In 2013, Pakistani-China governments agreed to launch a landmark project called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which will connect Pakistan’s deep sea Gwadar port with China’s Xinjiang region. Both Pakistan and China are discussing a number of mega projects under the rubric of Economic Corridor in several fields like energy, infrastructure and connectivity which would revitalize Pakistan's economy.

The Economic Corridor, with a total investment of $46 billion, is a new glaring example of the close friendship between Pakistan and China. The 2,100-kilometre corridor would include special economic zones, a railways system and a model city, airport as well as a free port at Gwadar. Pakistan government is planning to establish state-of-the-art industrial zone in Gwadar with the help of China. Therefore, Pakistan China economic corridor is a new frontier of bilateral cooperation