ISLAMABAD: Head of Pakistan’s top think tank has said that China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a central component of all-weather Pakistan-China Strategic Cooperative Partnership that has transformed the country.
Director General of Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) Ambassador Sohail Mahmood was speaking at a book launch event organized by the China Pakistan Study Centre (CPSC) at the ISSI on Friday.
The book titled, ‘China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Beyond 2030: A Green Alliance for Sustainable Development’ has been edited by Dr. Rabia Akhtar and published by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES).
Ambassador Mahmood said the CPEC, is a flagship project of BRI, that connects China’s western provinces through Pakistan to the Arabian Sea. He noted the project has transformed Pakistan and helped to address critical issues such as energy shortages and infrastructural deficit, while enhancing regional connectivity.
“By revitalising trade routes and promoting economic integration, CPEC is envisioned to play a pivotal role in enhancing Pakistan’s position as a central gateway to Asia, the Middle East, and beyond,” said the ambassador.
He added that this book emphasises CPEC’s potential to drive sustainable growth. It shows how CPEC could be transformed into a green development project, aligning with international sustainability goals and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Chief Guest Mushahid Hussain Sayed recalled how China undertook massive reforms, achieved modernisation, and was now focused on ‘peaceful rise.’ He said China has the highest number of Fortune 500 companies and has helped 800 million people to lift from poverty. He also noted that China’s Belt and Road Initiative, despite being criticised by Western nations and their allies, has been copied into other projects.
Mushahid also highlighted the global smear campaign against BRI and stressed the importance of proactive efforts to counter the negativity sought to be built around BRI and its related project CPEC. He added that China is the only nation in the world that has helped other countries develop with its own growth and contributed to their strength without expanding or colonising other states.
Ambassador Naghmana Hashmi, former Ambassador of Pakistan to China in her views said that it was difficult to come across an economic or connectivity project in recent times. She said in many ways, this was a function of the growing geo-political and geo-strategic tensions among major powers, where BRI and its related projects were also being targeted.
Dr. Salma Malik, Associate Professor Quaid-i-Azam University added that the book delves into the political, geostrategic, and environmental aspects of CPEC. It advocates for “Green CPEC” as part of CPEC 2.0 and stresses sustainable development.
Dr. Hassan Daud Butt former CEO Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment said one of the main aspects of CPEC has been the development of environmentally sustainable Special Economic Zones (SEZs). He said that the government should contribute the right policies to facilitate the private sector investment in SEZs.
Xu Hangtian, Minister Counselor at the Embassy of China in Pakistan, said that the dedication of the authors and their detailed work have produced a masterpiece that will serve as a valuable resource on CPEC for years to come. During the implementation of CPEC, both China and Pakistan were confronted by challenges of sustainability. To offset those, numerous projects have been carried out including export and manufacturing of sustainable energy technology in Pakistan, including in solar and wind domains.
Felix Kolbitz, Country Director FES, expressed the hope that the book will spark new ideas, encourage further research, and contribute meaningfully to the discourse on sustainable development under the framework of CPEC and beyond.
The book launch was attended by large number of people including diplomats, practitioners, academics, think-tank experts, students and members of business community and the media.
