China’s President Xi and Prime Minister of Pakistan Sharif talked about defense, trade, and green energy and their dedication to the multibillion-dollar CPEC project
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan/ISTANBUL
On Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to helping Pakistan achieve long-term economic growth.
Xi also requested that Chinese institutions and personnel in Pakistan be afforded a secure setting.
President Xi Jinping offered an additional RMB500 million ($68.6 million) in aid for Pakistan’s post-flood rescue and restoration operations during a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.
Recent devastating rains and floods have killed hundreds of people and washed away hundreds of thousands of homes, bridges, highways, and structures across the South Asian country of Pakistan, causing political and economic chaos.
In a statement released from the Prime Minister’s Office in Islamabad, Xi was cited as saying, “China would continue to provide its support to Pakistan for sustainable economic growth and to exploit its potential as the geo-economic hub.”
For his first official visit to China, Sharif and a high-level entourage touched down in Beijing on Tuesday.
On behalf of the Muslim League, Sharif extended congratulations to Xi on being re-elected to serve as secretary general of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.
The two heads of state reiterated their nations’ dedication to one another and their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, saying their countries have stood side by side to achieve their common goals of peace, stability, progress, and prosperity.
Sharif also stated again that all political parties in Pakistan agree that the friendship between Pakistan and China is exemplary in international relations.
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
Defense, commerce and investment, agriculture, health, education, green energy, research and technology, and disaster preparation were all reviewed, and a renewed commitment to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was reiterated by both leaders (CPEC).
Since 2014, Islamabad and Beijing have been working together under the CPEC, a bilateral investment cooperation framework with an estimated value of more than $50 billion.
The second-largest economy in the world may now reach the warm waters of the Arabian Sea via Gwadar Port in southwestern Balochistan province, thanks to the about $28 billion in energy and infrastructure projects previously spent by China in the South Asian country.
According to the statement, they also reached an agreement to begin work on the CPEC’s Main Line-1 (ML-1) and Karachi Circular Railway projects.
Beijing to continue its support
Xi stressed that China will maintain its “basic policy of opening up and providing new chances to Pakistan and the rest of the world through continuous development,” according to a separate statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
“China will further strengthen the synergy between its development policies and those of Pakistan,” he said, expressing “grave worry” for the security of Chinese institutions and nationals engaged in cooperation projects in Pakistan.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that Xi hoped Pakistan would “create a trustworthy and safe environment” for Chinese residents and institutions.
With Gwadar Port, Beijing can access the warm waters of the Arabian Sea, and Xi has stressed that it is “essential to hasten” the construction of auxiliary infrastructure surrounding the port “to unleash its role in boosting interconnected growth in the region.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping has assured Islamabad that Beijing will “continue to do its best to support Pakistan in stabilizing its financial situation,” and has pledged to work with Pakistan to expand cooperation in the digital economy, e-commerce, photovoltaic and other new-energy technologies, and to advance cooperation concerning agriculture, science and technology, and people’s livelihood.
It’s an unprecedented time to be alive while the globe, our culture, and our history all undergo unprecedented transformations. Xi said that in the face of global uncertainty, “both sides should stand on the right side of history, keep up their strong cooperation in multilateral mechanisms, and work closely on major international and regional issues in order to uphold true multilateralism, international fairness, international justice, and the shared interests of developing countries.”
Moreover, he said, China and Pakistan would collaborate to bring the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative into operation and to “make the global economic governance system more fair, equitable, and inclusive that benefits all and build a community with a shared future for mankind.”
By working together, the two countries will have a solid foundation for growth, and the world as a whole will benefit from increased stability and prosperity.
The amount of money exchanged between the two countries increased to $27.82 billion in 2018, according to the most recent figures released by Beijing.
The CPEC also helped create 75,000 new jobs in Pakistan, and Pakistan provided China with 300,000 masks and 6,800 pairs of gloves to use in the fight against the COVID-19 virus.
Kashmir and Afghanistan were also discussed, with both leaders agreeing that a peaceful and secure Afghanistan would be good for regional security and economic growth and that extending the CPEC to that country would improve regional connectivity initiatives.
Sharif also invited President Xi to visit Pakistan, which Xi graciously accepted.
