China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was proposed by Premier Li Keqiang during a visit to Pakistan in May 2013. The 3,000-kilometer-long corridor starts from China’s Kashi and ends at Pakistan’s Gwadar, and connects the Silk Road Economic Belt in the north and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in the south. It is a trade network of highways, railways, pipelines and optical cables and is a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative.
China and Pakistan developed a long-term plan for the construction of transport and power facilities along the corridor in April 2015. These facilities are expected to spur the launch of other major projects in infrastructure, energy, water conservancy, and information and communications, including industrial parks and free trade zones. With an investment totaling US$45 billion, construction of the CPEC is scheduled to be completed by 2030.
President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif were present at the ground-breaking ceremony for five major projects on April 20, 2015, when over 30 agreements and memoranda in relation to CPEC cooperation were signed.
The CPEC is designed to enhance bilateral exchanges and cooperation in transport, energy and maritime shipping, foster connectivity between the two countries, and promote common development. It will also help enhance connectivity across the whole of South Asia, and expand cooperation in economic and energy sectors between the countries in South and Central Asia, North Africa and along the Persian Gulf, thus forming an economic radius benefiting nearly three billion people.
中巴经济走廊
中巴经济走廊是李克强总理于2013年5月访问巴基斯坦时提出的。走廊起点位于新疆喀什，终点在巴基斯坦瓜达尔港，全长3000公里，北接丝绸之路经济带，南连21世纪海上丝绸之路，是贯通南北丝路关键枢纽，是一条包括公路、铁路、油气管道和光缆覆盖的“四位一体”通道和贸易走廊，被称为“一带一路”的“旗舰项目”。
2015年4月，中巴两国初步制定了中巴经济走廊远景规划，将在走廊沿线建设交通运输和电力设施，并以此带动双方在走廊沿线开展重大项目、基础设施、能源资源、农业水利、信息通讯等多个领域的合作，创立更多工业园区和自贸区。走廊建设预计总工程费将达到450亿美元，计划于2030年完工。
2015年4月20日，习近平主席和纳瓦兹•谢里夫总理举行了走廊5大项目破土动工仪式，并签订了超过30项涉及中巴经济走廊的合作协议和备忘录。
走廊旨在进一步加强中巴之间交通、能源、海洋等领域的交流与合作，推动互联互通建设，促进两国共同发展。走廊也有助于促进整个南亚的互联互通，更能使南亚、中亚、北非、海湾国家等通过经济、能源领域的合作紧密联合起来，形成惠及近30亿人口的经济共振。
