LAHORE: Chinese Co­­n­­sul General in Lahore Zhao Shiren has hailed the China-Pakistan Eco­n­omic Corridor (CPEC) as a tra­n­sformative infrastructure project that paved the way for socio-economic development in the country.

He was speaking at the concluding ceremony of an essay competition held in connection with the completion of 10 years of CPEC on Wednesday. The competition, titled ‘CPEC — 10 years and its grassroots impacts’ was held in collaboration with the Chi­nese Consulate in Lah­ore and the Institute of Inter­national Relations and Media Research (IIRMR).

Mr Shiren said projects launched under the CPEC have made positive strides and key areas such as Gwadar Port, energy, transportation and industrial cooperation have progressed and delivered tangible benefits for people.

The beauty of CPEC lies not only in specific projects but in the fact that it brou­g­­ht closer the people of China and Pakistan thr­ough cultural exchange and mutual learning, he added.

“Through high-quality development of the CPEC, China is working with Pakistan to build a community having a shared future in the new era of development,” he added.

He said the essay competition and similar programmes play a decisive role in setting the CPEC narrative right.

In the ceremony, prizes were distributed among Tehniyat Mobeenul Haq, Rabia Zahoor, Faiza Naz, Haris Masood and Kam­ran who secured the top five positions in the competition. IIRMR Chair­man Muhammad Mehdi and President Yasir Habib Khan said CPEC would continue to progress as its essence was to put people on the path of development.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2023