NEW DELHI: A new air cargo route connecting China’s Guizhou province and Pakistan’s Karachi was inaugurated on May 28, aimed at strengthening trade ties between the two close allies. The launch of the route coincides with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s planned visit to Beijing next week, according to state-run Pakistan News Agency Associated Press.
The inaugural flight departed Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province, carrying six tonnes of cargo including “clothing, electronics and various goods,” according to China Economic Daily (CEN), and arrived in Karachi after about six hours of flight. The return flight was to transport blue crabs from Pakistan to Guiyang, according to Guiyang customs.
The route will operate three times a week and will transport goods such as “hardware accessories, clothing fabrics and electronic accessories.” This direct flight is the first of its kind between Guizhou and Pakistan, and is also the first air cargo route connecting Guizhou with Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries.
Officials said the route is expected to help establish Guiyang as a cargo distribution hub in southwest China and expedite the delivery of quality fresh produce from Pakistan to Guizhou. The APP report suggested that the Guiyang-Karachi air cargo route would boost trade between the two regions.
The move follows the opening in January of a new air cargo route connecting Ezhou Huahu Airport in central China’s Hubei province with Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be on a five-day official visit to China from June 4 and will hold talks with top Chinese businessmen to attract more investments in the second phase of the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
Sharif is also scheduled to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and other leaders to strengthen bilateral ties and increase cooperation under the multi-billion-dollar CPEC.
The inaugural flight departed Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province, carrying six tonnes of cargo including “clothing, electronics and various goods,” according to China Economic Daily (CEN), and arrived in Karachi after about six hours of flight. The return flight was to transport blue crabs from Pakistan to Guiyang, according to Guiyang customs.
The route will operate three times a week and will transport goods such as “hardware accessories, clothing fabrics and electronic accessories.” This direct flight is the first of its kind between Guizhou and Pakistan, and is also the first air cargo route connecting Guizhou with Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries.
Officials said the route is expected to help establish Guiyang as a cargo distribution hub in southwest China and expedite the delivery of quality fresh produce from Pakistan to Guizhou. The APP report suggested that the Guiyang-Karachi air cargo route would boost trade between the two regions.
The move follows the opening in January of a new air cargo route connecting Ezhou Huahu Airport in central China’s Hubei province with Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be on a five-day official visit to China from June 4 and will hold talks with top Chinese businessmen to attract more investments in the second phase of the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
Sharif is also scheduled to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and other leaders to strengthen bilateral ties and increase cooperation under the multi-billion-dollar CPEC.
