‘CPEC to benefit both Pakistan and region’

Chinese Ambassador says both countries should work together for its completion

ISLAMABAD:

China is a peace loving country but will defend itself from any outside aggression, China’s Ambassador  Sun Weidong said on Friday.

Addressing at a public talk and book launch of “China’s Stories, China’s Success- How China Transformed on the past 40 Years” authored by SM Hali, he said that the goal of any Chinese leadership was to provide a better living for its people.

“China believes on focusing on its main target which is the economic development of the country because this will not only bring welfare to the people of China but will also be a conduit for world peace and prosperity,” he explained.

Sun acknowledged that poverty alleviation was a daunting task for the Chinese government and doing so will be a huge step towards progress. He stated that China has found the correct path for its development and will focus more on the quality of economic growth rather than the quantity.

He stated that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was a huge project and hoped that it would benefit both Pakistan and the region. “Both countries should work together towards its successful completion and make Pakistan and China friendship as strong as steel”.

Federal Minister of Planning, National Reforms and Development Ahsan Iqbal said the credit went to the leadership of both countries who within a year had transformed a mere idea into a project worth $46 billion CPEC project.

“The CPEC dream is now breaking new ground and is a reality,” Iqbal said and added that Pakistan had delivered more than it promised and had met all the timelines in implementation of the CPEC,” Iqbal said.

Senator Mushahid Hussain stated that the quality and calibre of leadership makes a significant difference to the development of a country. Whether or not the leadership learns from previous mistakes and embarks on a course correction is very important. He stated that Pakistan had also learnt from its mistakes and operation Zarb-e-Azab was an indicator of this.

Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad Director General Ambassador Masood Khan said that the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor (CPEC) mega-project was a success story. “Pakistan-China relations are very strong and China is a strong country and will remain strong in the decades to come and Pakistan is fortunate to be so closely associated with China,” Khan said and added that China would continue to rise.

“Both the CPEC and the ‘One- Belt, One Road’ initiatives will be success stories, by implementing these projects the international community under the leadership of China is trying to reform the world order, foster economic development and promote stability in the region and inter-linked regions all around the world,” he underscored and termed it ‘cross-continental’ initiatives.

SM Hali stated that through his book he had tried to showcase and bring together the different cultures and traditions, which exist in China. He drew parallels between his visits to China in 1974 and 2010. On both occasions he noted that the love for Pakistan had not changed and had only grown in depth. He dubbed China’s success on the fact that the country has always remained focused.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 19^th, 2016.