China 'pleased' as CPEC enters stage of high-quality development

We are glad to see CPEC achieve new outcomes, says Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson

BEIJING:

Expressing pleasure over the progress of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Friday said that the flagship project has achieved new outcomes and entered a stage of high-quality development.

"We are glad to see that CPEC has achieved new outcomes and entered a stage of high-quality development," he said while responding to a question asked by APP during his regular press conference held in Beijing.

He also referred to the National Development Reforms Commission (NDRC) briefing in which a spokesperson of the commission gave an update on the new progress of the CPEC development.

Read more: CPEC crown yet to shine, reveals an official assessment

"This is a demonstration of China-Pakistan friendship, and also an example of promoting the prosperity and development of countries along Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)," Wenbin added,

He said that the Chinese will work with Pakistan to implement the vital consensus reached between the leadership of the two countries and build the CPEC into a demonstration project for BRI’s high-quality development and to boost the building of an even closer China-Pakistan shared community.

Earlier, Meng Wei, a spokesperson of the NDRC, during a press briefing said that the CPEC has entered a new phase of high-quality development after making significant achievements in a wide range of areas over the years.

The CPEC has made significant progress, as expressways, vocational schools and power plants funded by China have been put into operation in Pakistan, he added.

Also read: First CPEC project completed

The NDRC spokesperson also said that as a major pilot project of the BRI, the CPEC will accelerate Pakistan’s socioeconomic development in multiple areas, including energy and transportation.

"China and Pakistan will continue to strengthen cooperation focused on the Gwadar port, as well as energy and infrastructure projects, in order to promote the high-quality development of the CPEC," the spokesperson added.

On September 23, the Joint Council for Cooperation (JCC) of the CPEC held a meeting, where five cooperation documents and three inter-enterprise cooperation agreements were signed.