‘China, Pakistan welcome third party participation in CPEC’
China's foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian attends a news conference in Beijing, China March 18, 2022. PHOTO: REUTERS
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is an open and inclusive platform and both Beijing and Islamabad would welcome all countries and international organisations to participate in the construction of the flagship project of Belt and Road Initiative to achieve common development, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Monday.
“The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is an open and inclusive platform. China and Pakistan welcome any efforts that support the Belt and Road Initiative and the building of CPEC,” he said during his regular briefing in response to a question.
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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addressing a joint press conference along with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul during his recent visit to Turkiye invited Turkyie to participate in the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project, and said he was willing to discuss the matter with Chinese leadership if Turkiye moved ahead with the idea of joining the flagship project.
In his comments, Zhao Lijian termed the CPEC flagship project as an open and inclusive platform and a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative and both the Chinese and Pakistani sides would welcome countries and international organisations which are ready to join it.
“We hope countries and international organisations that are ready to conduct mutually beneficial cooperation and achieve common development,” he added.
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He remarked that such countries and organisations could join CPEC in appropriate ways to share the dividends of Belt and Road cooperation.
It is worth mentioning that CPEC, a pilot project of the BRI was launched in 2013 focusing on cooperation in Gwadar Port, energy, infrastructure and industries.
The two countries have recently expanded their cooperation to the fields of science and technology, agriculture, people's livelihood, and information technology industries.