KARACHI: In a series of tweets, Chinese diplomat Lijian Zhao
has shared a full list of the various projects and agreements finalised
and discussed during the 7th Joint Cooperation Council (JCC) meeting
held in Islamabad between November 21 and 22.
The tweets
appear to be on behalf of the National Development Reform Commission
(NDRC) of China, which is the counterpart of the Planning Commission in
Pakistan, jointly responsible for giving shape to the China-Pakistan
Economic Corridor (CPEC) over the long run.
A total of six documents were signed, including the Long
Term Plan for CPEC which is to run from 2017 till 2030. In addition,
minutes of the 7th JCC were also approved by both sides, as well as
those from the meeting of the Joint Working Groups on Gwadar, Energy and
Industrial Parks. Implementation minutes on New Gwadar International
Airport were also finalised.
The subsequent JCC will
work on commercial contract and financing arrangement for the Main Line 1
(ML1) project which envisions a high speed rail link between Karachi
and Peshawar. This is the single largest project in CPEC. In addition to
ML1, “3 new infrastructure projects will accelerate talks on signing
commercial contracts and financing agreements” Zhao says.
Feasibility
reports for nine Special Economic Zones (SEZs) “were handed over to
Chinese side” he says, adding that three of them, “Rashakai, Dhabeji and
M-3 in Faisalabad seemed most feasible.” The language is non-committal
on whether any decision was made to begin construction on these yet, or
whether further work is needed before work begins.
For
Gwadar, the NDRC notes the beginning of the construction of East Bay
Expressway, whose ground breaking was held after the JCC meeting, and
“Gwadar power plant and Gwadar Expo will be inaugurated very soon. Major
projects will be completed in Gwadar Free Zone by early 2018”.
Regarding
the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, the NDRC is quoted by the diplomat as saying
that “China and Pakistan discussing Bhasha dam project under CPEC energy
expert group. However it has not been included in list of energy
projects. Recent media report on Bhasha dam was not accurate, or
reflected on personal view of an individual official.”
The
reference is to news reports from a parliamentary committee during
which a former Chairman Wapda claimed that the Diamer-Bhasha project is
being cancelled due to the stringent conditions attached by the Chinese
side for its financing. The report was never formally clarified by any
government body.
Mr Zhao made no mention of the reported
demand from the Chinese side to allow the Yuan to be used as legal
tender in Gwadar. Regarding news reports that Pakistan will receive 9
per cent of Gwadar Port’s earnings, he shared a published clarification
issued by the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) chairman. In the
clarification, the chairman confirms that the GPA will get “9pc of the
gross revenue from port and marine service businesses and 15pc of the
free zone businesses.”
