LAHORE: Chinese Consul General Sun Yan has said that Pakistan and China are entering a new and advanced phase of cooperation under CPEC 2, with a renewed focus on industrial development, agriculture and mining.
He stressed that a workforce proficient in the Chinese language would play a pivotal role in enabling Pakistan to fully capitalize on bilateral trade and investment opportunities. He added that CPEC has already generated thousands of jobs and is expected to create many more in the years ahead.
He made these remarks at a ceremony organized by the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Regional Office Lahore on Wednesday to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China.
The event was attended by Chinese Consul General Sun Yan, Chairman Institute of International Relations and Media Research Muhammad Mehdi, FPCCI Regional Chairman Zaki Aijaz, Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Punjab Minister for Industries and Commerce Chaudhry Shafay Hussain, government officials, industrialists, exporters and importers, who celebrated the longstanding friendship and strategic partnership between the two countries.
Foreign affairs expert and Chairman of the Institute of International Relations and Media Research, Muhammad Mehdi emphasized that Pakistan must draw meaningful lessons from its experience under the Pakistan–China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and concentrate on two strategic priorities: institutionalized stakeholder consultation and the development of robust technical analytical capacity.
He pointed out that one of the principal shortcomings of the FTA negotiated during the Musharraf administration was the absence of meaningful engagement with domestic stakeholders.
He stressed that such policy shortcomings can be avoided through regular and institutionalized consultations facilitated by the chambers of commerce.
He highlighted that Pakistan succeeded in obtaining substantially improved market access, particularly after the launch of the CPEC and the direct engagement of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif with President Xi Jinping during high-level discussions in 2017. These negotiations resulted in China extending exceptional preferential treatment to Pakistan through tariff concessions on 313 export items.
Concluding his remarks, he observed that until the ML-1 railway modernization project reaches implementation, questions are likely to persist regarding the pace, progress, and overall effectiveness of the CPEC.
Welcoming the guests, FPCCI Regional Chairman and Vice President Zaki Aijaz said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping, bilateral relations have entered a new era of economic cooperation through CPEC 2. He stressed that the next phase should prioritize industrial collaboration, Special Economic Zones (SEZs), advanced manufacturing, information technology, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, agriculture, healthcare, logistics, tourism and youth entrepreneurship.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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