Delegates from China visiting Islamabad on the eve of Chinese president Xi Jinping’s visit to Pakistan, identified various potential functional areas vis-a-vis China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in a session held at IPS, discussing several critical issues associated with the venture including project’s significance for both the countries, implications on the region, emerging opportunities and the challenges currently faced.
A six-member Chinese delegation visited Institute of Policy Studies on April 19, 2015. It was headed by Guo Yezhou, Vice President of International Department of the Central Committee, Communist Party of China (IDCPC) while the other members included Ms. Sun Haiyan, Deputy Director General, Bureau of Public Information and Communication, Mr. Yuan Ruidong, Director, Bureau of South and Southeast Asian Affairs, IDCPC, Ms. Xu Xu, Director, China Centre for Contemporary World Studies (CCCWS), IDCPC, Mr. Zhou Rongshui, Second Secretary, IDCPC and Ms. Nie Shengquan, Interpreter, CCCWS-IDCPC.
The delegates met DG-IPS Khalid Rahman and selected members of the Institute and held detailed discussion on various issues related to CPEC and their implications on the region.
Guo Yezhou also invited DG-IPS to be part of ‘Silk Road Think Tanks Association’ – an initiative of China Centre for Contemporary World Studies (CCCWS) to bring leading policy research organizations of the countries concerned with ‘Silk Road Economic Belt’ and ‘Maritime Silk Initiative’ on a single platform to share their inputs on economic, strategic and political dimensions. DG-IPS accepted the invitation, terming the initiative a step in the right direction.