The understanding was reached during a high-level engagement between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Secretary General and Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal and Liu Daxiu, Head of Delegation and First Class Inspector at the Party Building Research Institute of the Organization Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), according to Pakistan's Press Information Department (PID).
The five proposed political corridors will cover political dialogue and strategic coordination; development and governance learning; youth, innovation and future leadership; people-to-people and cultural connectivity; and peace, stability and regional cooperation, PID said.
The initiative builds on proposals discussed at the China-Pakistan Political Parties Forum in Beijing in May 2026. The two sides agreed to translate the five corridors into an annual programme of cooperation between the PML-N and CPC.
Ahsan Iqbal said the next phase of CPEC should focus on productivity, innovation, green development, livelihoods and regional connectivity, while Pakistan would seek to learn from China's experience in long-term planning, institutional capacity, policy continuity and governance.
Liu Daxiu said China would continue working with Pakistan to advance CPEC 2.0 and high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. He also pointed to areas of convergence between China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) and Pakistan's URAAN Pakistan 5Es framework, particularly growth, innovation, green development, infrastructure and people-centred development.
The Chinese side endorsed the five political corridors as a means of adding a political and institutional dimension to CPEC 2.0, including cooperation in party building, governance, leadership development, youth engagement and policy research.
The discussions also included proposals for structured exchanges between the two sides' political education and research institutions, including China's Central Party School, Party Building Research Institute and International Department.
The engagement points to a broader direction for CPEC 2.0, with cooperation increasingly extending from physical infrastructure and investment toward institutional capacity, skills, innovation, productivity and human capital.
