Source: SCMP
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in a series of tweets today, Zhao Lijian, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad explained the share of the four provinces’ in $51.5 billion CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor).
Zhao’s tweets were a response to criticism in the local press and on social media about the Western route of CPEC and alleged absence of CPEC benefits for KPK and Balochistan.
There have been planned protests by Awami National Party (ANP) against ‘change of Western route of CPEC and deprivation of Pakhtoon and Baloch interests.’
The Chinese ambassador to Pakistan Sun Weidong said to the KPK Chief Minister Pervez Khattak that the rumors that the Western route is not included in CPEC are “untrue”.
According to Zhao, here is the breakup of CPEC projects:
Balochistan 16
KPK 8
Sindh 13
Punjab 12
16 projects under CPEC are related to Balochistan, tweets Zhao which are:
Khuzdar-Basima Highway (N-30)
I.Khan-Quetta Highway (N-50)
Hubco Coal Power Plant
Gwadar Power Plant
Gwadar-Nawabshah LNG Terminal and Pipeline
Gwadar Eastbay Expressway
Gwadar New International Airport
Gwadar Smart Port City Master Plan
Expansion of Multi-purpose Terminal including Breakwater & Dredging
Wastewater Treatment Plants for Gwadar City
Gwadar Primary School
Gwadar Hospital Upgradation
Gwadar Technical & Vocational College
Gwadar Eastbay Expressway II
Fresh Water Supply
Gwadar Free Zone
Zhao tweeted that, “I used five tweets to name the CPEC projects in Balochistan. Is Balochistan short of CPEC projects?”
Zhao also tweetsed about KPK and wrote that eight projects are under CPEC in KPK which are:
Joint Feasibility Study for Upgradation of ML1
Establishment of Havelian Dry Port
KKH II (Havelian-Thakot)
Upgradation of ML-1
KKH III (Raikot-Thakot)
I.Khan-Quetta Highway (N-50)
Suki Kinari Hydropower Project
Optical Fiber Cable from Rawapindi to Khunjrab
Zhao also tweeted about Sindh and wrote that 13 CPEC projects are related to Sindh which are:
Matiari-Lahore Transmission Line
Matiari-Faisalabad Transmission Line
Port Qasim Power Plant
Engro Thar Power Plant & Surface Mine in Block II of Thar Coal Field
Dawood Wind Farm
Jhimpir Wind Farm
Sachal Wind Farm
China-Sunec Wind Farm
Upgradation of ML-1
Thar Coal Block I & Mine Mouth Power Plant
Gwadar-Nawabshah LNG Terminal & Pipeline
Karachi-Lahore Motorway (Sukkur-Multan)
Joint Feasibility Study for Upgradation of ML1
Zhao wrote that Punjab has 12 projects under CPEC which are:
Optical Fiber Cable from Rawapindi to Khunjrab
Haier & Ruba Economic Zone II
Karachi-Lahore Motorway (Sukkur-Multan)
Joint Feasibility Study for Upgradation of ML1
Upgradation of ML-1
Sahiwal Coal-Fired Power Plant
Rahimyar Khan Coal Power Plant
Karot Hydro-Power Plant
Lahore Orange Line Metro Train
Matiari-Lahore Transmission Line
Matiari-Faisalabad Transmission Line
Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park in Bahawalpur
China has invested $14 billion in 30 early-harvest projects which are to be completed under CPEC, a flagship project of the One Belt One Road initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Chinese Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Zhao Lijian said that out of 30 projects, 16 are under construction.
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