Pakistan, China to launch satellite to monitor CPEC projects
Islamabad: Pakistan and China have signed an agreement for the launch
of a special satellite to monitor the development of the $46 billion
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.
Minister for planning, development
and reform, Ahsan Iqbal on behalf of Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere
Research Commission (SUPARCO) and China Great Wall Industry Cooperation (CGWIC)
President Yin Limping signed the agreement in Islamabad on Wednesday.
The two sides agreed for the
development of the ‘Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite (PRSS-1) System’ and in
this regard, launch a satellite in June 2018, Dawnreported.
Speaking on the occasion, Iqbal said that bilateral cooperation between the two
countries in space domain would open new vistas of socioeconomic and scientific
cooperation, giving boost to the historic bilateral cordial relations in other
fields.
Space technology is fundamental in
socioeconomic development, infrastructure upgradation, agriculture production,
urban planning in new age, he added. The minister said that the agreement would
also transfer space technology to Pakistan and the PRSS-1 is yet another
flagship project between China-Pakistan relations after CPEC.
It would go a long way to redefine
the bilateral relations, he said. The new project would also help Pakistan in
national security arena by strengthening border security and surveillance
apparatus, Iqbal said.
The CPEC is a $46 billion project
launched with the help of China to connect western China to southern Pakistan’s
port city of Gwadar, giving Beijing an opening to the Arabian Sea. India has
been protesting the corridor’s passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir ever
since the project was kicked off by President Xi Jinping during his visit to
Islamabad last year. PTI
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