Pakistan’s strategic economic ties with China are picking up pace. Reports this past week point to a clear upswing: exports of sesame, rice, and seafood to China have risen sharply; a new memorandum on quantum and emerging technologies has been signed; and Islamabad has sought Beijing’s support to join the BRICS-backed New Development Bank.

Together, these developments signal a renewed strategic rhythm, one that closely aligns with the broader vision of CPEC 2.0.

The second phase of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor, formally adopted under the Action Plan 2025–2029 at the recent 14th meeting of the Joint Cooperation Committee in Beijing, has now moved from paper to practice. The JCC’s key outcomes, China’s commitment to finance 85 per cent of the Karakoram Highway realignment, joint efforts to secure around 6 billion dollars in multilateral funding for the long-delayed ML-1 railway, and the signing of 21 business-to-business agreements worth 8.5 billion dollars at a conference in Beijing presided over by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, reflect a new seriousness of purpose on both sides.

Taken together, these steps show a shared resolve to turn years of slow progress into measurable results. After a period of drift, CPEC 2.0 is beginning to look less like a plan and more like a process, anchored in technology, trade, and pragmatic cooperation rather than rhetoric.

Action Plan

At the heart of this renewed cooperation lies the Action Plan 2025–2029, the most comprehensive roadmap yet to re-energise CPEC. It sets out five thematic corridors: Growth, Livelihood, Innovation, Green, and Openness, aligned with Pakistan’s national Five Es: exports, equity, empowerment, environment, and energy.

The Growth Corridor focuses on industrial modernisation and export-oriented public-private partnerships. The Livelihood Corridor addresses agriculture, poverty reduction, and small projects that directly improve local living standards. The Innovation Corridor promotes digital connectivity, research, and emerging technologies. The Green Corridor highlights renewable energy and water security. The Openness Corridor encourages regional cooperation and multilateral partnerships consistent with the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative’s high-quality principles.

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For Pakistan, the plan represents a shift from large, state-driven projects to smaller, sustainable and commercially viable ones. Two model industrial and technology parks in Karachi and Islamabad are expected to lead the way. The plan also stresses training, youth exchanges, and better coordination between provincial and federal........

© The Friday Times