Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday announced plans to launch the next phase of the multi-billion dollar CPEC at the high-profile 2nd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) here as Beijing and Islamabad pressed ahead with the controversial project despite India's protests over sovereignty concerns.
"The presence of so many world leaders today is proof that we choose hope over despair and cooperation over confrontation. 122 states and 49 international organisations have signed on to the BRI's vision and this is historic and monumental development.
"Together, Pakistan and China are entering the next phase of the CPEC, with greater emphasis on socioeconomic uplift, poverty alleviation, agricultural cooperation and industrial development," he said.
Both the countries are signing an expanded Pakistan-China Free Trade Agreement, he said. He also mooted cooperation among the countries signed up to the BRI climate change cooperation.