PM in China
Premier called for greater attention towards tackling climate change and poverty
The PM is in China on a four-day visit to attend the Second Belt and Road (BRI) Forum and to meet the Chinese leadership. It is Imran Khan’s second official tour of China, and much like the last time, CPEC tops the agenda. Leaders from at least 37 countries and delegations from over 100 countries are expected to participate in the BRI Forum, giving Pakistan the opportunity to work on various lesser foreign policy goals on the sidelines.
Delivering the keynote speech at the forum’s opening ceremony, the PM called for greater attention towards tackling climate change and poverty while urging world leaders to undertake joint efforts to address impediments in the way of sustainable global growth. He urged efforts to enhance tourism via a ‘BRI tourism corridor’. He has stressed the need for an office of Anti-Corruption Cooperation to be set up to combat the white-collar crime which “is devastating the world”. Another suggestion raised by the PM is to come up with a poverty alleviation fund to supplement national efforts in the fight against poverty and malnourishment.
Imran also mentioned the “substantial progress” achieved on CPEC, such as increased energy supplies and plugging of critical infrastructure gaps, along with the transformation of Gwadar from a small fishing village into a commercial hub. In his speech later, Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed concerns about the BRI, saying the global infrastructure project will have ‘zero tolerance’ for corruption and vowing to prevent debt risks for partner countries.
Simultaneously, it has emerged that a comprehensive safeguard mechanism has been put in place for phase-II of the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement. The goal is to protect the local industry, while other measures are also being enforced to address potential under-invoicing, create duty-free access on over 300 tariff lines, and perhaps most significantly, use Chinese investment and assistance to help open up the massive African markets to Pakistani products.
Delivering the keynote speech at the forum’s opening ceremony, the PM called for greater attention towards tackling climate change and poverty while urging world leaders to undertake joint efforts to address impediments in the way of sustainable global growth. He urged efforts to enhance tourism via a ‘BRI tourism corridor’. He has stressed the need for an office of Anti-Corruption Cooperation to be set up to combat the white-collar crime which “is devastating the world”. Another suggestion raised by the PM is to come up with a poverty alleviation fund to supplement national efforts in the fight against poverty and malnourishment.
Imran also mentioned the “substantial progress” achieved on CPEC, such as increased energy supplies and plugging of critical infrastructure gaps, along with the transformation of Gwadar from a small fishing village into a commercial hub. In his speech later, Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed concerns about the BRI, saying the global infrastructure project will have ‘zero tolerance’ for corruption and vowing to prevent debt risks for partner countries.
Simultaneously, it has emerged that a comprehensive safeguard mechanism has been put in place for phase-II of the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement. The goal is to protect the local industry, while other measures are also being enforced to address potential under-invoicing, create duty-free access on over 300 tariff lines, and perhaps most significantly, use Chinese investment and assistance to help open up the massive African markets to Pakistani products.