Internews/Islamabad
As Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pakistan yesterday with a bagful of multi-billion dollar projects, political economists are calling for more transparency on the part of the government for the eventual implementation of the projects under the much-touted Pakistan-China Economic Corridor (PCEC).
Most economic experts welcome the Chinese interest in the projects conceived under the PCEC but asked the government not to create an unnecessary hype as if the $50bn development projects were just around the corner from materialisation.
The PCEC is a long-term plan, spread over the next several years and needed to be handled calmly, they said.
Dr Kaiser Bengali, a seasoned economist and currently an adviser to Balochistan chief minister, said: “I am unable to understand why the government is keeping the PCEC under wraps.” According to him, the controversy surrounding the corridor’s route persists and needs to be removed as soon as possible.
Dr Bengali was of the view that the way government was projecting the PCEC in media it should have presented an approved route and other terms of reference before parliament by now.
“Even if there are some changes in its original route, as is feared by some quarters, it’s the government’s responsibility to address their concerns.”
For Dr Ashfaque Hasan Khan, a former economic adviser in the government of General Pervez Musharraf, the government has been behaving “like a frustrating batsman” and is “trying hard to show something on the scoreboard”.
Instead of the relentless media campaign, which the government had engaged itself in over the past several days, its focus should have been on removing “possible major irritants” that can deprive the country of this crucial Chinese interest in infrastructure and energy projects.
“Had I been in government, I would have arranged a meeting between the Chinese ambassador to Islamabad and parties such as the ANP, which have expressed concerns about the PCEC’s route. Since China is spending money on PCEC, a word from the Chinese might have served the purpose,” he said.
“The government needs to be open, yet cautious in dealing with the PCEC because there is no dearth of detractors who wouldn’t want the two countries moving ahead with the projects planned under the corridor,” Dr Khan said.
A more or less similar point was made by Asad Umar, a senior leader of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf party.
“First of all, we should all accept it’s a good thing that the Chinese are coming to Pakistan to develop our infrastructure and power sectors.
“However, my only concern is the government’s contention that it will change the fate of the country, and the ministers have gone overboard in trying to showcase the corridor.”
Umar, who has a lot of experience in the corporate sector and advises the PTI chairman on national and international economic issues, said that a major chunk of the $50bn was loaned money, which also included investment by local banks.
Secondly, he explained, even if a few PCEC projects had reached an advanced stage, overall the project was still in its early stages.
Jointly developed fighters escort Xi’s plane
Eight fighter jets manufactured jointly by Pakistan and China escorted Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plane yesterday when he arrived on an official visit to Pakistan.
The jets are referred to as “JF-17” (“Joint Fighter-17”) in Pakistan and “FC-1 Xiaolong” (“Fighter China-1 Fierce Dragon”) in China.
The fighter jet, a light-weight single-engine multi-role combat aircraft, can be used for aerial reconnaissance, ground attack and aircraft interception.
The JF-17, which can carry various munitions, including air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, made its debut at the 8th International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai in 2010.
