CPEC-II Officially Set to Begin During PM’s China Trip
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s upcoming visit to China later this month will mark the formal launch of the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC-II), after years of delay. This new chapter of CPEC will focus on industrial cooperation, clear priorities, and measurable outcomes, according to Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal.
The announcement came during a high-level review meeting ahead of the prime minister’s scheduled trip to Beijing, where he is expected to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Planning Minister stressed that CPEC-II must be driven by quality, advancing only carefully selected, high-impact projects to ensure long-term sustainability and institutional strength. He also revealed that Prime Minister Shehbaz has invited President Xi to visit Islamabad in 2026, marking 75 years of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations.
The meeting highlighted several priorities, including industrial relocation, special economic zones, IT training, AI infrastructure, agriculture, mining, and trade diversification. Ahsan Iqbal underlined the importance of tapping China’s $2 trillion annual imports, suggesting Pakistan should aim to capture $30–50 billion of this trade through competitiveness and sectoral readiness.
He also directed officials to address visa delays for businesspersons, prepare export-focused plans, and ensure that the 10,000 training opportunities offered by China are distributed transparently. These capacity-building measures are expected to strengthen human resources, boost exports, and enhance investment inflows.
Experts believe artificial intelligence could add up to Rs24.9 trillion ($88.31bn) to Pakistan’s economy by 2030, driving productivity gains in agriculture, manufacturing, fintech, software, and energy. With policy continuity and private sector collaboration, CPEC-II aims to position Pakistan as a competitive player in regional and global trade.