Communication | Industrial park construction enhances the level of China Pakistan economic cooperation

Islamabad, October 15 (Xinhua) -- The construction of industrial parks enhances the level of economic cooperation between China and Pakistan

Xinhua News Agency reporters Jiang Chao and Zhang Jingyao

Starting from Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, heading northwest onto Highway 1, it takes less than an hour to reach the Rashakai Special Economic Zone located in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of the country.

This is the first special economic zone with Chinese elements to be established under the framework of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. The project company led by China Road and Bridge Engineering Co., Ltd. is responsible for its construction and operation, with a total planned area of approximately 406.7 hectares.

Entering the gate of the park, modern office buildings and factories come into view. Wu Yuxing, the project manager of China Road and Bridge Lasakei Special Economic Zone, picked up an industrial planning map and introduced it to reporters. He said that the Lasakei Special Economic Zone will be developed and constructed in three phases, with plans to introduce various industries such as machinery and equipment, household appliances, food processing, textile and leather, home building materials, warehousing and logistics.

He said that with superior transportation and geographical location, the Rashakai Special Economic Zone can help promote the development of industrial economy in northwest Pakistan. Since its completion in March last year, the park has built a relatively complete infrastructure, and has also referred to mature industrial park operation cases in China and the practical experience of local excellent employees to maximize the satisfaction of the needs of enterprises entering the park.

The reporter saw that a standard factory building in the park has been built. Ashraf Olgezai, director of the public utilities department in the Rashakai Special Economic Zone, told reporters that some companies that come to invest have needs for transit and storage of materials. For this reason, the park has specially built this standardized factory building, which not only provides heat and water resistance, but also has complete water, electricity, and fire-fighting facilities, bringing convenience to investors.

At present, at least 25 corporate investors have come to contact us, and 10 companies have already invested in construction, covering industries such as steel smelting, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and mobile parts processing. Oregezai said that the park has specially set up a one-stop investment convenience window at the entrance to provide maximum convenience for investors to handle entry procedures.

Sayyid Wajid Buhari, CEO of the Pakistan Association of Major Steel Producers, stated that the establishment of the Rashakai Special Economic Zone is a positive signal conveyed by the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is not only of great significance to Pakistan but also good news for foreign investors.

Industrial cooperation is of paramount importance in the high-quality construction of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. According to Wu Yuxing, the positioning of the Rashakai Special Economic Zone is to prioritize the implementation of the industrial cooperation plan between the two governments, and further improve the overall infrastructure construction and supporting services.

With the efforts of the operation teams of both China and Pakistan, we have confidence and capability to build Lashkay into the highest quality special economic zone in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, and help improve the quality and efficiency of industrial cooperation between China and Pakistan, "he said.