Pakistan is a key player in China's Belt and Road Initiative that has become known as the the "New Silk Road". China is investing billions of dollars to transform the country's infrastructure. Pakistan's port city of Gwadar is set to be a vital trade link to West Asia, Africa and beyond. This small fishing town has been transformed into one of Pakistan's largest ports and a state-run Chinese company will handle the operations of Pakistan's strategic Gwadar port for a period of 40 years.

Minister for Ports and Shipping Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo said the China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC) would carry out all the development work on the port on the Arabian Sea.
The COPHC has 91 per cent share of revenue collection from gross revenue of terminal and marine operations and 85 per cent share from gross revenue of free zone operation, he was quoted as saying by The Nation.

Gwadar forms the southern Pakistan hub of the USD 57 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) infrastructure and energy project that Beijing announced in 2014.

Last year, Pakistan welcomed the first large shipment of Chinese goods at Gwadar, where the COPHC took over operations in 2013. It plans to eventually handle 300 million to 400 million tonnes of cargo a year.

It also aims to develop seafood processing plants in a nearby free trade zone sprawled over 2,281 acres.