CPEC helps create linkages with neighboring countries, bring prosperity to region: Ambassador Haque

BEIJING: Pakistan Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque Monday said the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) flagship project would help create linkages with the neighboring countries and bring more prosperity to the region.

“When this project is realized, it will not only help Pakistan improve its infrastructure, address poverty, critical needs of the people and create jobs but also help create linkages with the neighboring countries and bring more prosperity to our region,” he said in an interview with Xinhuanet.

He informed that in second phase of the CPEC, the country was moving towards industrialization, social economic progress, agriculture, science and technology and poverty alleviation and “so, we are developing our remote, underdeveloped area and altogether.”

Terming the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a visionary project of President Xi Jinping, he said the basic philosophy of BRI was development, economic prosperity, social progress, creating jobs and the connectivity.

He said the CPEC, a demonstration and flagship project of the BRI had helped Pakistan build critical infrastructure, road infrastructure and address energy shortages, adding, “So as we move forward, it can contribute to the basic philosophy of BRI of helping people.”

He said all this project of BRI was aligned with the vision of the government of Pakistan, which had people centric.

Appreciating the Chinese leadership and government for taking people out of extreme poverty, he said China’s poverty alleviation programme had been a miracle, adding, bringing out almost 800 million people out of absolute poverty was remarkable and extraordinary.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan is a great admirer of Chinese experience and has been saying repeatedly that we need to learn from Chinese model and Chinese experience,” he added.

Ambassador Haque who had been visiting various cities of China, said, “I have seen the programmes, which have brought change in the lives of the people in small villages, through very critical and targeted and focused programs of agriculture, science, through using modern technologies like e-commerce platformmes.”

On the ongoing “Two Sessions”, he showed great interest in China’s 14th Five Year Plan and the goals for achieving socialist modernization by 2035 and the blueprint for science and technology and innovation.

“We will be also looking at the goals that will be set to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 which is an important global agenda for climate change,” he said.

About cooperation between Pakistan and China during COVID-19 pandemic, he said, “Indeed, COVID-19 pandemic was a global challenge and in this difficult times, Pakistan and China even came closer, and our cooperation and solidarity was an example and a model for others around world.”

He said the people of Pakistan were grateful to the Chinese government and people for sending very critical supplies, medical teams and medical equipment to Pakistan.

President Dr Arif Alvi visited China in March last year during the peak of pandemic to show solidarity with the people of China while Pakistan was the first country to receive the COVID-19 vaccines from China as a gift, he said.

“We are really grateful to China for standing by with Pakistan and helping us in this important area,” he added.