Pakistan, China to collaborate on economic research, training programs under new agreement

• The understanding was reached at a meeting between Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, China’s Development Research Center President Lu Hao
• Beijing has invested tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure projects in Pakistan and has repeatedly rolled over sovereign loans to Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Planning Ministry and China’s Development Research Center (DRC) have reached an agreement for joint research, training programs and expert exchanges in the field of economy, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday.

The understanding was reached during a meeting between Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and President of China’s Development Research Center and Center for International Knowledge on Development, Lu Hao, in Beijing on Sunday.

Beijing has invested tens of billions of dollars in energy, infrastructure and other projects in Pakistan as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and has repeatedly rolled over sovereign loans to Pakistan in order to help Islamabad meet its external financing needs.

In his meeting with top Chinese officials in Beijing, Iqbal expressed Islamabad’s keen interest in learning from China’s achievements in economy and other fields, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.

“China’s scientific planning is a beacon of long-term and sustainable economic development,” Iqbal was quoted as saying by the broadcaster. “Pakistan is keen to learn from China’s achievements in economy and reforms.”

The DRC, a key policy research and consulting institution directly under the Chinese central government, focuses on comprehensive, long-term and strategic issues, and plays a significant role in advising the government on policy formulation, particularly regarding China’s economic and social development.

In his meeting with the DRC president, the planning minister said that Pakistan wanted to promote trade and exports with China, according to Radio Pakistan. Lu expressed confidence in Pakistan’s strategy to become an export-oriented economy.

Besides economy, China and Pakistan have also been longtime defense partners.

Islamabad this year said its Chinese-supplied jets had shot down six Indian aircraft, including three French-made Rafale fighters, in the four-day military standoff between Pakistan and India in May, drawing interest for analysts and governments alike.

While India has admitted losses, but it has not specified the number of aircraft lost to Pakistan, with some observers seeing this as a symbol of Beijing’s rising military might.

Pakistan accounts for around 63 percent of China’s arms exports, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

In the recent fighting, Pakistan used the J10-C Vigorous Dragon and JF-17 Thunder planes, armed with air-to-air missiles. Islamabad’s air defenses also used Chinese kit — including the HQ-9P long-range surface-to-air missile system — and deployed Chinese radar as well as armed and reconnaissance drones.