Ambassador Haque felicitates Chinese govt for holding annual ‘Two Sessions’ meeting

BEIJING: Pakistan Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque Tuesday congratulated the Chinese government for holding annual “Two Sessions” and said this year's Chinese government work report was a very extensive report, which not only demonstrated China's confidence, but also contained development opportunities for Pakistan.

“So we'll be looking at this very important government agenda and see how this new opportunities because of the economic reforms and opening up, and how Pakistan can benefit from it,” he said in an interview with CRI Online.

This year's National People's Congress will determine China's “14th Five-Year Plan” and an outline of long-term goals for 2035, which will draw a comprehensive blueprint for China's development in the next 5 and 15 years.

Ambassador Haque said, as friend of China, Pakistan always took comfort and pride in the Chinese progress and development.

The government’s work report delivered by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was a very comprehensive document and very well crafted amidst challenges that China and rest of the world faced because of the pandemic and the economic recessions, he added.

He remarked that China was the only major country which registered positive growth last year, adding, “We're looking at reform agenda of the government for economic stability, setting up a very good target of 6% GDP growth that shows the confidence of the Chinese government.”

“We will be evaluating and studying with interest the Chinese reforms to be taken for the agriculture, health, education, innovation, private investments and international trade,” he added.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had been very keen on digitalization and innovation and we had similar projects in Pakistan, he said and added, “We are also promoting health, upgrading environment, meeting targets of the United Nations for carbon neutrality and emissions.”

He said the environment was also a very important area in Pakistan and the prime minister had launched many programmes to meet the international requirements and also to promote green technologies in the country.

“So these are areas where Pakistan and China are already working on some of the things which will be of greatest interest to our two countries,” he added.

In response to a question about anti-pandemic cooperation between Pakistan and China, he said, “It has been exemplary and a testimony of Pakistan China close relationship.”

He mentioned that when pandemic spread in the two countries, “we stood by each other, we supported each other through supplies of critical goods and China provided Pakistan these supplies in a large number. So, this showed this solidarity was very important.”

Ambassador Haque said the two countries were now cooperating in the vaccine development also and Pakistan was the first country to receive the donation of vaccines from China.

“We stood by each other, and emphasized the need for international cooperation, the need for international solidarity, amidst this global health crisis,” he added.

Sharing latest update on progress of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he said CPEC was extremely important project of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and added it was a transformational project for Pakistan which helped upgrade infrastructure, energy and overcome energy shortages.

He said the phase two was even more important. It focused on industrialization, socio economic progress, agricultural and Information Technology sectors.

“These are all those areas which are also aligned with our Pakistan's government agenda which is people centric,” he added.

About the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, he said that this was a very important year for the two countries and was a milestone. It had historical linkages, such as people of the two countries had been interacting through Silk Road for centuries.

The friendship had a very solid foundation, because the two countries always supported each other on the core issues and major concerns. And this relationship enjoyed broad and nationwide consensus.

“It is a relationship which is in the hearts of the people and this is nurtured by successive generation of people and based on mutual trust, mutual respect, mutual cooperation, a very unique and special relationship,” he added.

Evaluating the development of new China under leadership of Communist Party of China (CPC), he congratulated the CPC for 100 years of the formation and achieving this very historic milestone.

From defeating foreign aggression to now building moderate socialist country, the CPC had been a remarkable journey, he said and added, “What China has achieved under the CPC or through the CPC efforts, is a great example.”

He expressed the confidence that under President Xi's leadership, China will achieve the goal of national rejuvenation and also become a modern socialist country.