View of Gwadar Port in Pakistan Photo: VCG

Construction of the Pakistan-China Friendship Hospital and China-aided Gwadar Seawater Desalination Plant were completed on Monday. The two projects are important infrastructure projects within the framework of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative.

According to China Media Group, the desalination plant in Gwadar in Balochistan province covers an area of about 3,700 square meters, with a daily output of 5,000 tons of fresh water, which will satisfy the water demand of tens of thousands of local residents in the area.

As another project completed in Pakistan, the Pakistan-China Friendship Hospital project expanded the existing hospital into a 150-bed general hospital. After the project is put into operation, the daily consultation capacity can reach 900 people, which can provide better medical care for the residents in the rapidly developing Gwadar region. 

During the completion ceremony, Pakistani Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said that China and Pakistan enjoy "iron-clad friendship" and the two are all-weather strategic cooperative partners. The path of Chinese modernization is of great significance and impact not only for China but also for the world, Kakar noted.

Within the framework of the CPEC, China has invested a lot in Gwadar Port and the new international airport at Gwadar Port will soon come into operation. China has built a large number of highways in Gwadar, which provide great convenience to local residents, according to Kakar.

Chinese ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong said during the ceremony that after 10 years of unremitting efforts, the construction and operation of Gwadar Port has made great progress. In the first half of this year, the port's cargo throughput reached 1.6 times of last year's total, and it has attracted 46 enterprises to register there.

In the future, China will increase its investment in Balochistan province, and continue to enhance local residents' understanding of China, Jiang noted.

The Pakistani leader urged the people of Balochistan, particularly young people to avail the historic opportunity of development in their province as "the detractors of the CPEC were about to lose their relevance" soon, according to a report on the CPEC official website.

Kakar said the journey of CPEC would move forward, while not backward, so joining the development course would be a prudent decision. "Trade worth $36 trillion was expected to take place in and around China in the near future, therefore it was a must to join the journey through skill-development," he said.

Global Times