Bilawal seeks deeper ties with China, rapid CPEC implementation

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday sought to further strengthen Pakistan’s “all weather strategic partnership” with China, including through the “rapid implementation” of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of President Xi Jinping.

Also Bilawal on Monday joined the Foreign Office formally for the first time after taking oath as the foreign minister on April 27. He could not attend the office since swearing in as he first travelled with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Saudi Arabia and then spent time in Dubai during Eid holidays.

Apart from chairing the introductory meeting at the Foreign Office, the PPP chairman addressed the high-level Meeting of the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative (GDI), held in virtual format in New York.

President Xi Jinping of China had put forward the Global Development Initiative during his address to the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2021.In January 2022, China launched a Group of Friends of GDI in New York – which was joined by Pakistan and more than 50 other countries – as an informal cooperation and coordination mechanism for strengthening policy dialogue, sharing best practices, and promoting practical cooperation on realizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to advance the objectives of GDI.

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A statement issued by the Foreign Office said Bilawal reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to further strengthen its All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with China, including through the rapid implementation of the CPEC, a flagship project of the BRI.

“Pakistan will continue its efforts to enhance cooperation with China through CPEC, to advance its national implementation of SDGs, in addition to participating actively in the work of the GDI Group of Friends to promote the common aspiration of a peaceful, prosperous and shared future for all mankind,” the statement quoted the foreign minister as saying.

In his video address, Bilawal appreciated China’s initiative to launch GDI and termed it a useful platform to accelerate and coordinate efforts for implementing the globally agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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Recalling the multiple crises posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and geo-political developments, with disproportionate and devastating impacts on the Global South, the foreign minister expressed deep concern over the reversal of progress in the implementation of SDGs.

He urged the GDI Group of Friends to address the challenges faced by the developing world and support emergency actions to increase cooperation in public health and vaccine equity, ensure food security, enhance energy production, promote global green economy, stimulate trade and industrialisation, and eliminate the digital divide.

The foreign minister, noting that the multiple crises had enlarged the gap in financing for development, called upon the international community to mobilise adequate resources for SDGs and fulfill the commitment of providing at least $100 billion annually in climate finance.