Islamabad (TDI): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to China later this month, where his visit is expected to officially launch the long-awaited second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC-II), centered on industrial collaboration.
The initiative, delayed for nearly five years, is now being repositioned with a sharper focus on measurable outcomes and high-impact projects.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, who serves as the focal person for CPEC, said the PM’s trip would “formally kick off CPEC Phase-II, with both sides agreeing on clear priorities and practical deliverables.” He was speaking at a high-level review meeting convened to finalize preparations for the upcoming Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) session and the prime minister’s engagements in Beijing.
While the JCC will meet in October, PM Shehbaz is scheduled to visit Beijing at the end of August to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit (Aug 31–Sept 1), according to Dawn. On the sidelines, he is also expected to hold meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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The planning minister underlined that the next stage of CPEC should focus on “quality rather than quantity,” arguing that only carefully chosen, sustainable projects should be advanced to strengthen institutions and deliver lasting benefits.
He revealed that during his recent China trip, he extended an invitation on behalf of the prime minister to President Xi to visit Pakistan in 2026, marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Iqbal also called for expanding Pakistan’s trade footprint in China, urging swift resolution of visa processing hurdles for businesspersons. He stressed the need for a targeted plan to diversify exports, build industrial linkages, and maximize the opportunities created under CPEC.
On human capital development, he highlighted that Pakistan must make effective use of the 10,000 training opportunities offered by China across different sectors. A transparent system, he said, should be in place to ensure the right candidates are selected in line with institutional requirements, enabling long-term capacity building.
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The meeting also assessed progress on several priority areas, including the Multan-Sukkur Motorway, IT training programs, computational infrastructure for artificial intelligence (AI), relocation of Chinese industries, special economic zones, mining projects, and agriculture modernization.
It was decided that detailed studies would be conducted to track trends in Chinese industrial relocation and to identify export sectors where Pakistan has a competitive edge.
With China importing goods worth over $2 trillion annually, Iqbal argued that Pakistan must strategically position itself to capture $30–50 billion of that market through improved competitiveness and sector-specific readiness.
He directed the preparation of an outcome-driven study to pinpoint high-potential export sectors, generate an export surplus, attract sustained investment, and strengthen Pakistan’s balance of payments.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
