The National Defence University (NDU) and Obortunity, Pakistan’s premier CPEC-focused firm, are organizing an international workshop to highlight opportunities and challenges of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The two-and-a-half week international learning and networking event will be held in Beijing, Islamabad and Gwadar from April 17 to May 3.
With the completion of the first phase of CPEC by year-end, activities related to the second phase – industrial cooperation – are gaining momentum. The second phase encompasses public and private special economic zones (SEZs), industrial relocation from China, attracting FDI into Pakistan, and growing opportunities for trade through new products and markets.
The event will acquaint the participants with key areas and challenges of CPEC and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to a point where they can conceive and implement solutions. The participants will get an opportunity to build a network of key public and private sector individuals both in China and Pakistan. “They will see for themselves where CPEC stands and where it is headed to. And they will be able to rapidly formulate and implement their own strategy of benefiting from CPEC,” according to a press release issued by the organisers.
“To ensure the success of second phase of CPEC, intense involvement of private sector is required. Government-to-government collaboration conceived the CPEC and with the private sector as a partner built the foundations focusing on transport infrastructure, Gwadar Port and electricity generation. Now, industrial cooperation depends on the successful development and population of special economic zones (SEZs), significant industrial relocation from China and accelerated industrialization,” it said.
“Moreover, the current government wants to include technologically empowered and corporate agriculture; social sector and media and telecommunications in the CPEC. For these transformations to succeed, a leading role for the private sector, academia and civil society is needed,” the statement said.
Published in Daily Times, February 23rd 2019.
