MONTHLY CPEC NEWS BRIEF AUGUST 2020 Prepared by PMU-CPEC-ICDP

BOI PREPARES BOI APPROVES SEZ STATUS FOR ALLAMA IQBAL INDUSTRIAL CITY FRAMEWORK PROGRESS ON CPEC AGREEMENT ON Source: Today Source: Pakistan Today INDUSTRIAL As CPEC enters a new phase The Approval Committee (AC) of the COOPERATION th BOI on 13 August okayed ‘SEZ’ status Source: The News Pakistan is a federation and for the Allama Iqbal Industrial City CPEC IC reinvigorated the CPEC projects are being (AIIC), , and referred the implemented in all provinces, applications of JW SEZ and Dhabeji SEZ Pakistan and China have AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan that for consideration of the Board of planned to elevate accord are ruled by different parties. Approvals. The AC also gave a go- on industrial cooperation This necessitates an ahead to the constitution of SEZ (IC) into a framework understanding over the committees of AIIC, Bostan and Hub agreement to develop B2B projects between all political SEZs, allowing thereby the sale of plots. joint ventures, and to parties. The Chinese realize vision for special Communist Party has engaged Pakistan, China to strengthen cooperation economic zones and directly with various political in agricultural sector: Gu Wenliang industrialization under the parties in Pakistan at the second phase of CPEC. This provincial and federal level to framework is being cultivate a better Gu Wenliang, the Agriculture developed with focus on understanding of CPEC’s vision Commissioner, Embassy of China to enhancing the country’s and priorities. The process has Pakistan said there is potential for China- industrial competitiveness, culminated in the Pak agricultural cooperation in the four technology transfer, establishment of a CPEC areas. (1) average yield of wheat, rice, relocation of Chinese Political Parties Joint sugarcane, and potato; (2) improved businesses, and skill Consultation Mechanism. technology for cropping; (3) agricultural development and labor ***** machinery & material; (4) E-Commerce productivity. No slowdown in activities **** under CPEC ●●● Govt prepares PROVINCIAL UPDATES Source: Profit Pakistan comprehensive National Source: Dawn Action Plan for agriculture sector under CPEC Adviser to the Prime Minister Special Economic Zone in KPK for Commerce, Textile, The plan for agriculture Industry, Production and A plan to perform the groundbreaking modernization will focus on Investment Abdul Razaq of the Rashakai Special Economic Zone locust control; germ plasma Dawood denied rumors in the first quarter of 2020-21 has resource exchange; regarding slowdown in exchange of agriculture activities under CPEC. already been approved. experts; pest and disease “I categorically deny the CPEC Authority Chairman Lt Gen (retd) control satellite station; perception about slowdown in fisheries, aqua-culture and activities. Anything else is said that the shrimp farming; and post- either out of context or falsely agreement on establishing Rashakai harvest food processing assumed,” he said. Special Economic Zone would be technologies. signed in the third week of August.

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FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT PAK-CHINA COOPERATION TEXTILE COOPERATION Source: The News Source: APP.COM Source: The News Foreign investment up by 88pc China, Pakistan’s universities to Letter of President Xi to promote cooperation in textile Pakistan has seen an 88% increase President Alvi

under CPEC in foreign direct investment (FDI), President Xi, in a letter to from $1.36b in 2019 to $2.56b in According to the agreement jointly 2020, according to the data President Dr Arif Alvi, said signed by Shanghai University of released by the State Bank. This is both Pakistan and China are Engineering Science (SUES), China primarily because China is working to maintain the and National Textile University investing in the telecommunication ‘momentum of peace and (NTU), Pakistan in May, the two and power sector via the CPEC development in the region’. universities are to promote programme. bilateral exchanges and cooperation in teaching, scientific The Chinese president research, academic conferences, responded to a special letter seminars, symposiums, long-term TOURISM SECTOR of congratulations written by and short-term student exchange President Dr Arif Alvi on the programmes, mutual recognition Source: The Nation second conference of the agreement (MRA) for GPA, double CPEC Political Parties Joint major programmes, summer In a meeting with Country Head of Consultation Mechanism exchange programmes and Turkish Cooperation and industry-university collaborations which, he said, fully Coordination Agency Gökhan (IUCs), so as to build a demonstrated the great demonstration platform for textile Umut, Federal Minister for importance and support he engineering technology exchange Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit (Dr Alvi) rendered to China- between both universities. Baltistan Pakistan relations and the said there is huge potential CPEC. for Turkish investors in tourism sector of Pakistan. IMPORTANT ONE LINERS: They can earn good return by • BoI unveils three-year  investing in hospitality Investment Promotion industry. Strategy, aims to take FDI CPEC RELOCATION to $5bn by 2023 Source: Dawn He said that the government was • Industrial cooperation PM asks Chinese entrepreneurs to establishing Economic Zones deal to help SEZs. BOI establish offices in Pakistan in Gilgit Baltistan which will chairman says second open new avenues of phase calls for enhanced “Chinese business houses should industrial development. role of industrialists, establish their regional offices in private sector. Pakistan,” the prime minister said while He said that about 2 million tourists • 13 economic zones being chairing a meeting with a delegation of visit the picturesque area of set up in Punjab: Buzdar 10 leading Chinese companies Gilgit Baltistan every year. • Punjab government offers undertaking business ventures in critical incentives for UAE sectors, including energy, investment in special communication, agriculture, science and economic zones technology, financial sector and industry. • Cabinet committee expresses satisfaction over CPEC’s progress