ISLAMABAD: Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue, Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh said Friday that the government was taking several institutional steps to further speed up implementation of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.

He was talking to the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Yao Jing, who called on the advisor here, according to a press statement issued by the Finance Ministry. Several matters of mutual interest were discussed during the meeting, the statement added.

Hafeez Shaikh, while discussing progress on CPEC projects, emphasized that the corridor was the culmination and anchor of the great friendship and deep-rooted collaboration of the people and governments of China and Pakistan to realize their joint destiny, achieve their common objectives and ensure a more prosperous future for both nations.

He appreciated the continuous and unwavering support that China has been providing to Pakistan as a true iron brother.

Reviewing the serious social and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across the globe, Dr Shaikh apprised the Ambassador of the wide-reaching measures that the government of Pakistan had taken, and was further planning, for the provision of much needed relief to mitigate the socioeconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially on the low-income and vulnerable groups.

He also informed the Ambassador of the initiatives that were being undertaken to stimulate the economy in these difficult and uncertain times. On the occasion, the Chinese Ambassador said that the people of China stood shoulder to shoulder by their Pakistani brethren.

He also assured that China would provide enhanced investments in development projects that would both stimulate the economy and generate employment.

Jing said that China placed the highest value on its fraternal relations with Pakistan and thanked the Adviser for his consistent support.—NNI