The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) creates a new window of opportunity for developing countries like Pakistan to improve their infrastructure and will be a game-changer for Pakistan, former Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Thursday.
"The BRI is a great opportunity to improve Pakistan's infrastructure. It has a very positive impact on the countries that are part of the programme. Eventually, I think more and more countries are willing to join the programme," said Aziz on the sidelines of the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) held in China's southern island province of Hainan.
He said the BRI projects developed jointly between his country and China will bring further benefits to the people of Pakistan by creating more jobs, promoting transport connectivity and boosting trade and investment. "For any developing country like Pakistan to grow, investment and infrastructure is the key.
So what Pakistan needs fits perfectly with what China is providing," Aziz said, adding that the BRI "will be a game-changer for Pakistan." He said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a major pilot project under the BRI framework "is a key infrastructure initiative between the two countries to create win-win results."
Projects under the CPEC - a corridor linking Karachi and north-western Peshawar and running through the populous provinces of Punjab and Sindh involve energy, transportation, industrial cooperation and the construction of the Gwadar port.
He said that the rapid development of CPEC, which will also see cooperation in finance, education and poverty alleviation, has played a significant role in the expansion of the Belt and Road.