STORY: CPEC qualitatively changes Pak-China relations into deep economic partnership: minister
DATELINE: July 5, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:18
LOCATION: LAHORE, Pakistan
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. STANDUP (English): ALI JASWAL, Xinhua reporter
2. various of the venue
3. SOUNDBITE (English): KHURRAM DASTGIR KHAN, Pakistan's Minister for Power
4. various of the construction site

STORYLINE:
 
STANDUP (English): ALI JASWAL, Xinhua reporter
"On the successful energization or 1,000 days of 660kV Matiari-Lahore high-voltage direct current transmission line, which is part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor framework. Both Pakistani and Chinese staff here at the project in a ceremony celebrated the occasion, where they share their experiences and stories while marking the 10th anniversary of the CPEC and the strong-bonded friendship between the two countries."

Pakistan's Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan said on Monday that with the inception of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) 10 years ago, the relations between the two countries qualitatively changed into a deep economic partnership.
 
SOUNDBITE (English): KHURRAM DASTGIR KHAN, Pakistan's Minister for Power
"We are celebrating 10 years of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The situation you need to imagine where Pakistan stood 10 years ago in 2013, in which Pakistan had crippling energy shortages, load shedding. So the important part is that China came and stood beside Pakistan shoulder to shoulder when no other country was willing to do so. This is important. Because as we all know, it is the tough times that allow you to recognize your true friends."

Regarding the Matiari-Lahore transmission line, the minister said this 886-km-long network connecting the power projects from Pakistan's northern mountains all the way up to the southern parts, represents a deep bond of friendship between the two countries.

Launched in 2013, CPEC is a corridor linking the Gwadar port in southwestern Pakistan with Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which highlights energy, transport and industrial cooperation.   

The Matiari-Lahore transmission project was invested and constructed by the State Grid Corporation of China. The construction started in December 2018, and around 7,000 jobs had been created for the locals during the construction period.   

The commercial operation of the project, which has the maximum capacity to transmit electricity of 35 billion kWh annually, started in September 2021.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Lahore, Pakistan.
(XHTV)