Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) has approved long-term plan of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The 7th JCC has also approved all those projects whose feasibility was approved subsequent to their approval in the 6th JCC and those whose feasibility study was not completed will be taken up in the next meeting.
7th JCC was important because of CPEC long-term plan, which had been under consultations for many months, has finally been approved for 2014-2030. Pakistan will also seek cooperation from China in IT sector.
Feasibility study of the international airport was shared with the Chinese side for review of changes in design.
Tax and security issues have been discussed and two sides set up working teams for further facilitation and the meeting decided that industrial zones will be set up as per priorities of the provincial governments while in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa it will be set up at Rashakai instead of Hattar. Feasibility of the industrial zones has been submitted to the Chinese side, which will respond to government after consulting their industries.
Consensus was developed on Karachi Circular Railways (KCR) project and feasibility of the KCR and ML-1 will be submitted to the Chinese sides for their consideration and similarly nine special economic zones have been identified with one each in four provinces, AJK, FATA and Gilgit-Baltistan and two in federal with one for Islamabad and other for Port Qasim and will be submitted to the Chines sides for consideration.
A proposal was under consideration to allow Chinese currency Renminbi to be used in the Gwadar Free Zone under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor framework.
