Islamabad: 13 October 2026: Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal invited a high-level delegation from China's Xinjiang region, led by Senior Adviser Mr. Yuan Jianmin, for detailed and meaningful discussions on the next phase of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He highlighted that Xinjiang; the Karakoram Highway and the shared borders remain enduring symbols of the historic and unbreakable friendship between Pakistan and China.

The Federal Minister highlighted that the journey of CPEC, which began on paper in 2013, translated into over US$25 billion in direct investment within just five years, adding 8,000 MW of electricity generation capacity and helping Pakistan overcome its severe power shortages.

He emphasised that the time has come to advance CPEC 2.0 beyond infrastructure development towards Business-to-Business (B2B) partnerships, modern manufacturing and private sector led growth. He encouraged Chinese investors to view Pakistan not merely as a market, but as a strategic manufacturing and export hub serving regional and international markets.

The Federal Minister further underscored that generating an additional US$7 billion in exports over the next three years through joint industrial ventures could help Pakistan reduce its dependence on external financial assistance and strengthen its economic self reliance.

He highlighted that expanding cross-border trade through the Khunjerab Pass and deepening cooperation in new energy, minerals and artificial intelligence would create millions of dignified employment opportunities.

The enduring All Weather Pakistan China Friendship continues to translate shared commitments into tangible outcomes through economic self reliance, industrialisation and employment generation.