Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has traveled to the country's southwest to mark the launch of trade activity from the Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea.
The first convoy of Chinese trucks carrying goods for sale abroad arrived in Gwadar on November 12, using a road linking China's northwestern Xinjiang region to the port.
Chinese vessels were ready at the Chinese-funded port for shipment of the goods to Middle East and African countries.
Addressing the opening ceremony on November 13, Sharif said his country would provide the best possible security to foreign investors to enable them to use the port for international trade.
The port is located in Balochistan Province, where an overnight blast at a shrine killed at least 50 people. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State group.
China is building roads and other infrastructure in Pakistan under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project that is expected to absorb more than $40 billion in Chinese investment in the coming decades.
