From 16 to 25 September 2025 the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China hosted a seminar retracing the ancient Silk Road between China and Pakistan to build the capacity of Pakistani officials within the framework of CPEC Phase II.
A delegation of more than 50 Pakistani officials representing federal ministries and provincial governments took part, led by Dr. Nadeem Javaid, Vice Chancellor of the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE). Participants engaged directly with Chinese experts to examine practical approaches to national development and reform.
The seminar programme explored China’s development journey alongside targeted discussions on poverty alleviation and improving wellbeing, national development planning methodology, coordinated development and security, prospects for China–Pakistan cooperation and recent advances in Artificial Intelligence. These sessions aimed to translate the Silk Road legacy into contemporary policy tools for Pakistan’s planners and administrators.
By strengthening institutional linkages and enhancing policy capacity, the NDRC initiative seeks to support Pakistan’s role in the next phase of CPEC. Officials returned with new frameworks and insights intended to inform decision making at federal and provincial levels and to accelerate cooperative projects between the two countries.
