Beijing, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has called on companies to establish mineral processing plants in Balochistan. This initiative is aimed at boosting the production of value-added mineral products for both domestic use and export, particularly to China. Dar extended this invitation during a meeting with Chen Jianguang, Vice President of Minmetals and Chairman of Metallurgical Cooperation of China, in Beijing.
According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Dar lauded the longstanding partnership between Pakistan and key Chinese corporations such as Minmetals and MCC. These companies have played significant roles in developing major mining projects in Balochistan. The Deputy Prime Minister noted a significant increase in copper exports to China, which soared to 1.22 billion dollars in 2022, up from 132 million dollars in 2018.
Dar highlighted that the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is focused on fostering B2B collaboration between the private sectors of both countries. He also emphasized that CPEC’s modern transport infrastructure would provide companies like Minmetals and MCC with enhanced logistical efficiency, thereby reducing transportation costs for both raw materials and finished products.