In an interview with the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, he talked about the Sahiwal coal-fired power plant:
Q: A major power plant constructed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was inaugurated in Pakistan last week. Due to its importance, the prime minister himself inaugurated the project which has created 3,000 jobs for the locals and benefited about one million people. What is your comment on that?
A: Sahiwal coal-fired power plant is an important energy project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. On May 25, a ceremony marking the full operation of the first unit of the plant was held in Sahiwal, Punjab. Once completed, the plant would become one of Pakistan’s clean coal power plants with the largest installed capacity, generating 9 billion KW H of electricity per year, which will meet the energy needs of approximately 10 million local people.
11 out of the 17 priority energy projects jointly planned by the Chinese and Pakistani sides under the corridor are under construction. The inauguration of the first unit of the Sahiwal power plant signifies that we will soon see a host of energy projects under the corridor be constructed and completed. Majority of the energy projects are expected to be completed by the end of 2019, which would help relieve energy shortage in Pakistan and bring benefits to its people.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif attended the ceremony and commended the workers of China and Pakistan for setting a record by completing the construction work within 22 months. He said that Pakistan’s energy shortage would be greatly relieved and economic growth benefited, thanks to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and the large scale energy projects in particular. China’s Belt and Road Initiative is creating positive effects in Pakistan, and would also change the fate of countries and people along the routes.
We are glad to see that the Belt and Road, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor included, delivers benefits to countries and people along the routes. Following the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, we will work with people from all countries including Pakistan in building the Belt and Road initiative, so as to bring more tangible benefits to relevant countries and people.
