The recently concluded session of the 12th National People's Congress appraised and delineated China's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) which essentially encompasses the overall development of the country. The Five-Year Plan echoes China's firm determination and extended support of common benefits and general prosperity that essentially could only be achieved through innovation and the quality of the production means.
For China, the particular focus has always been Pakistan; this is once again obvious through the firmness of the Chinese leadership's earnestness for Pakistan's development by undertaking projects with Pakistan on a priority basis. The Five-Year Plan has similarly important features and sound concepts regarding the implementation of both innovative and shared development with Pakistan through an enhanced coordination at higher levels for expediting the ongoing projects that are also a part of the broader bilateral cooperation. These policies significantly reduce the regional economic stagnancy with the exceptional coordination of the development goals as envisioned under China's policies of overall development and prosperity.
China has always been a great source of motivation and support for Pakistan; its cooperation with Pakistan ranges from trade, energy, and infrastructural development to meet the challenges in the era of globalization and seek the opportunities ahead. During the NPC, the most remarkable announcements were those made by Guo Shuqing, governor of East China's Shandong Province who made exceptional investment plans with Pakistan for setting up an industrial park during the next five years. Shandong is one of the biggest industrial and economic provinces in China, having over 13 high-tech industrial zones whose GDP climbed to US$962 billion in 2015. With such huge industrial capabilities and economic potential, and the support of the people and the leadership of China, Pakistan will be able to overcome its prevailing economic setbacks and reach a level of self-sustained prosperity that is essential for the better living standards of the common masses in the country. Pakistan's delicate economic and industrial situation is strongly in need of such support in order to meet the current trends of industrial production in the globalized economy and reach a self-sustained prosperity. However, the people of Pakistan see the recent announcements from Governor Guo Shuqing as rays of great hope.
In fact, the 4th session of the 12th National People's Congress was a genuine replication of the realistic assessment of China's social and economic well being for the region. The transportation means always prove to be a great source of national development. Pakistan, during the last two decades, has been paying extra attention to the development of the motorway and road networks mainly in cooperation with China. The China-Pakistan-Economic-Corridor (CPEC), worth US$46 billion, is one of Pakistan's mega projects for the infrastructural development needed to meet future challenges. China will also support the construction of the railway network from China's port city of Kashgar to Pakistan by 2016. Therefore, the project will be significantly interconnected with the Silk Road Economic Belt. This was also announced during the NPC by Zeng Cun, the Party chief of Xinjiang's Kashgar prefecture. It is part of China's plan to build both the CPEC and Silk Road Economic Belt.
The wide-ranging array of cooperation between China and Pakistan, together with the CPEC, will overpoweringly add to the overall prosperity of Pakistan. The country is facing serious security issues. As a result, the absence of foreign investment has been a constant depression for the economic conditions of Pakistan. Unlike the other so-called friends of Pakistan, China has always proved a friend indeed and extended its sincere support during times of ominous setbacks and fluctuations.
China has been eagerly supporting Pakistan in the fields of energy, transportation and infrastructure development. The infrastructure renewal will give particular support to Pakistan in overcoming its previously slothful and less stirring economic conditions. Infrastructure development is the means that effectively transport the goods from the farm to the factory. With a broader view, the development also connects with the other countries in the region. Consequently, China's unmatched support for Pakistan brings tremendous trade and business opportunities which will have a direct and prosperous impact on the life of an ordinary citizen of Pakistan.
