Pang Chunxue, deputy head of mission, Chinese Embassy, has said that China is planning to further deepen synergy between its development strategies and those of Pakistan.

The Islamabad Institute of Conflict Resolution (IICR) organized a policy conclave here in Islamabad, titled "CPEC's Defining Moment: Prospect and Challenges".

China and Pakistan will make full use of the Joint Cooperation Committee of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), advance the CPEC with greater efficiency, and make the CPEC an exemplar of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, Pang said while addressing the session.

While highlighting the benefits of the CPEC she said that as the landmark project of the BRI, CPEC has achieved fruitful results, bringing in $25.4 billion in investment, helping to add 6040 MW of electricity, 886 km of core national transmission network and 510 km of highways.

Under promotion of the CPEC, Pakistan's energy shortage has been greatly addressed, transport infrastructure has been improved, and local people have gained a large number of employment opportunities.

Lastly, she said that China will always put Pakistan as its priority for cooperation and work in joint hands to address various risks and challenges at the regional and international levels, deepen the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, and build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Azhar Mahmood said that CPEC is an opportunity, which was harnessed as a result of Pakistan's geo strategic location. Due to the same reason, it has vital importance in China's Belt and Road Initiative because it is the enriched and shortest route of east-west connectivity providing connectivity to not only region but civilization.

The First Speaker on the panel was Dr Tahir Awan who focused political aspects of the CPEC. Pakistan needs to take some ideas from its Chinese friends and that is what the CPC is focused on "modernization", he said. Pakistan can also use and implement the idea in its own requirement, Pakistan needs modernization in order to carry on with the emerging world or else be obsolete, he added.

Joining from Sri-Lanka, Dr George highlighted that every country is unique in its outlook and none should be looked as a replication of the other rather unique relationship it has with the international community. Adding further that no country is isolated today due to its dependency on trade and China is effectively working on enhancing bilateral relations based on mutual trade.

The next speaker on the panel was Mr. Dawood Butt. Dawood said that Pakistan should feel proud of the CPEC rather being skeptical about it. There is institutional consensus that the CPEC is necessary to Pakistan, Dawood said.

Speaking next Mr. Shahid Raza said that Pakistan's biggest struggle is its internal political battles which halts national growth. The CPEC will happen amid all the challenges it faces, it may take slightly longer but it will be accomplished, Raza said.

The last speaker on the panel was Mr. Javed Iqbal who highlighted the technological aspects of the CPEC. Digital infrastructure is the next frontier and Pakistani government has paid little heed to the digital and technological prospects of the project. Contrary to this China has been proactively modernizing its infrastructure through employing technology.