This is apropos a Business Recorder op-ed “The giant ship of China’s economy will continue to cleave the waves” carried by the newspaper on Tuesday. The writer, Yang Yundong, China’s consul general in Karachi, has presented an informed perspective on his country’s economy in a highly and effective meaningful manner.
That the writer is spot on, so to speak, is a fact. The writer has concluded his argument by saying, among other things, that “We believe that both China and Pakistan will continue to give full play to each other’s advantages.
Building on the important achievements in the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, further deepening and expanding economic and trade cooperation, achieving mutual economic prosperity between China and Pakistan, and elevating the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership to a new level will make greater contributions to the peace and stability of both countries and the region.” I wish to make a couple of observations in this regard.
That Pakistan and China are all-weather friends is a reality. That the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will be a game-changer insofar as Pakistan’s prospects of economic prosperity are concerned upon its completion is also a fact.
Unfortunately, however, the CPEC has suffered some inordinate delays in recent past on account of whatever reasons.
In my view, all of its projects must achieve completion in accordance with their timelines. The caretaker government in Pakistan deserves commendation for reaffirming country’s commitment to the CPEC, which is nothing less than a national cause.
Moreover, Pakistan needs to follow in the footsteps of China by drawing certain lessons from the latter’s success story. There must be no complacency on the part of any government viz-a-viz CPEC projects.
CPEC is an opportunity that we must not squander away. We also must not lose sight of the fact that China is our first option insofar as country’s economic development is concerned, it is our last option as well.
Hikmatullah (Karachi)
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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