BRI helps Pakistan improve energy supply and infrastructure construction

With finely-patterned silk carpets and exquisite jade ware, the pavilion of Pakistan shows great magnetism to visitors during the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing from Sept. 2 to 6.

Ghulam Qadir, Trade and Investment Counsellor of Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Beijing, said he felt great energy over the fair, since the venue is crowded with booths of different countries, organizations and businesses.

Ghulam Qadir, Trade and Investment Counsellor of Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Beijing, at the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 2, 2023. (People’s Daily Online/Chang Sha)

The highlight of the Pakistani pavilion for this year’s CIFTIS is the participation of companies from various service-related sectors, such as logistics, information technology, finance and e-commerce, working to explore more business opportunities, improve connectivity, and attract investments, according to Qadir.

“We’d like to have more liberalization of services, more interconnectedness, and more globalization,” he said, expecting Pakistani companies to integrate in this process.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Photo shows the pavilion of Pakistan at the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 2, 2023. (People’s Daily Online/Chang Sha)

“Pakistan is a flag bearer of the BRI,” the trade and investment counsellor said, as the country has all along been a staunch supporter of the initiative since its inception.

Launched in 2013, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project under the framework of BRI, is a 3,000-kilometer corridor stretching from Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to the Gwadar Port in Pakistan.

The project has helped the country improve energy supply and injected strong impetus into its infrastructure construction, Qadir noted.

He believes that the past decade has laid a solid foundation for the CPEC to make further progress and yield more fruits.

Photo shows jade ware exhibited in the pavilion of Pakistan at the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 2, 2023. (People’s Daily Online/Chang Sha)