瓜达尔港自由区
2013年5月，在李克强总理出访巴基斯坦过程中，双方同意共同建设“中巴经济走廊”，涉及能源、交通基建等多个方面的合作。2015年4月，习近平主席出访巴基斯坦，进一步推进两国合作事宜。作为“中巴经济走廊”重点项目之一以及瓜达尔港开发项目的重要组成部分，瓜达尔港自由区将以港口为依托，重点发展商贸物流、加工贸易、仓储和金融等产业。该自由区奠基仪式于2016年9月1日举行，巴基斯坦总理谢里夫出席，这标志着瓜达尔港建设从港区朝着工业园区扩展，进入新的发展阶段。瓜达尔港自由区将沿用类似深圳蛇口的建设模式，形成一个包括“港口+园区+城区”的综合体。巴基斯坦方面将会在土地使用、税收等多个方面给予该自由区以优惠。建成后的瓜达尔港自由区将不仅仅发挥单纯的港口运输功能，围绕这一自由区将形成一整个工业园区以及相关的贸易、金融多个产业聚集区，不仅会极大地推动瓜达尔港加速开发，而且还将带动巴基斯坦俾路支省乃至全国的整体发展。
Gwadar Port Free Zone
During Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to Pakistan in May 2013, China and Pakistan agreed to build a China-Pakistan economic corridor to promote energy and transportation infrastructure development, among other projects. During President Xi Jinping’s visit in April 2015, closer bilateral cooperation was again highlighted. A key element of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and an essential component of the Gwadar Port development project, the free zone aims to improve trade logistics, facilitate processing trade, and promote warehousing and financial services.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the free zone was held on September 1, 2016. Attended by Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, it ushered in a new phase of the port development that includes the construction of an industrial park. The free zone will be modeled after the Shekou Industrial Zone in Shenzhen, China, comprising a port, an industrial park, and residential and business areas. The Pakistani government will grant tax exemptions to the zone, together with a land lease on preferential terms. Once completed, the free zone will significantly boost the development of Gwadar Port, and spur economic growth in Balochistan and the rest of Pakistan.
