Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says CPEC is not merely a collection of different projects but a symbol of prosperity and shared development.

In a tweet today, the Prime Minister said he was greatly delighted to receive Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and the members of his delegation who came to Pakistan to join us in celebrating the Decade of CPEC.

The Prime Minister said as a special envoy of President Xi Jinping, He Lifeng brought with him a message of abiding friendship with Pakistan and its people.

The Prime Minister said over the last ten years, CPEC has emerged as a bedrock of Pakistan's socio-economic trajectory, helping us end crippling energy shortages, building high quality infrastructure, and promoting connectivity and integration not only within Pakistan's various regions but also with the neighboring countries. 

He said CPEC is a reflection of our relentless fight against poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment.

The Prime Minister said while the first phase of CPEC was about fixing the 'hardware' side of development, the upcoming second phase will upgrade the 'software' of development by focusing on agriculture, science and technology, skill development, innovation, industrialization, economic growth, health and education.

He paid rich tributes to President Xi Jinping, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for their pioneering role in conceiving and implementing CPEC as a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative.

President Xi's global leadership and vision of shared development is making a huge difference in the betterment of our world, especially the Global South.

He said together China and Pakistan will redefine not only the destiny of their people but also of the region.