BEIJING: Pakistan Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque has saiid thatfollowing the uncertainties brought by the COVID-19 pandemic which hasaffected the entire global economy, speculation as to whether CPEC, a keyproject under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), will continue accordingto schedule has become louder.
“However, despite this speculation and the global pandemic, CPEC(China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) projects will march forward based on theconsensus reached between the leadership of the two countries,” he told theGlobal Times in an interview.
The ambassador’s comments came after some Indian media reported that Chinais backing away from its initial financial commitments to Pakistan underCPEC, citing data of Boston University researchers in the United States.
However, the Chinese Foreign Ministry denied these groundless reports,saying as an important pilot project of the BRI, CPEC had maintained apositive momentum since its inception in 2013.
According to Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian, the CPEC projectsare being advanced as the two sides held the second meeting of the CPECJoint Working Group on International Cooperation and Coordination.
The ambassador, who also attended the meeting, informed that during themeeting, the two countries reaffirmed that the CPEC was an open andinclusive initiative that welcomed third party participation.
“We therefore invite third parties to join us in this ‘transformationalproject’, which is bringing a new hope of economic prosperity to the peopleof Pakistan and the broader region,” he added.
About progress amid the pandemic, Ambassador Haque said 19 projects underCPEC had been completed and 28 were under implementation.
Citing the Lahore Orange Line Metro project, he said the project, the firstmass-transit project of its kind in Pakistan which was launched in October,would provide efficient and affordable transport services to the 10 millionresidents of Lahore.
Another important project like the Matiari-Lahore transmission line, hesaid, was set to be put into operation early next year.
Some of the key projects in Gwadar like Eastbay Expressway, GwadarInternational Airport, Desalination Plant and Power Plant were also movingahead smoothly.
“COVID-19 pandemic has posed a severe threat to many businesses,”Ambassador Haque said, adding amid the extraordinary times of disruptedinternational travel and supply lines, there was initially some slowdown inthe work on CPEC projects.
However, he said, it was primarily due to the special measures taken forepidemic- prevention and safety of the workers. Thereafter, the work hadcontinued on all projects in a way to make up for the lost time.
According to Ambassador Haque, the CPEC project has entered a phase IIperiod, in which agriculture, science and technology, vocational trainingand tourism will be prioritized.
The projects in these areas, which are also in line with socio-economicagenda of Pakistani government, would help in poverty alleviation andimproving individual livelihoods.
Read Top Stories
Under Phase II, an important dimension is industrial relocation for whichnine Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are being established along the route,he said.
These SEZs through the provision of quality infrastructure and favorablepolicies offer attractive opportunities for enterprises from China andother countries to set up their businesses and manufacturing facilities, headded.
CPEC has been and remains a central pillar of Pakistan’s overallsocio-economic development strategy. Even during the pandemic, CPEC megaprojects such as the Lahore Orange Line, Azad Patan Hydropower Project,Rashakai SEZ, Peshawar-Karachi motorway and Gwadar have all madesubstantial progress.
The ambassador’s comments were echoed by a Chinese manager who is workingfor the Gwadar port.
“Amid the pandemic, we made sure that there was not a single COVID-19 caseamong 3,000 Chinese and local employees, which guaranteed the operationresumption and ensured the port’s development,” the manager of Gwadar portsurnamed Lin told the Global Times.
“We expanded our business scope which includes cargo transshipment servicefor Afghanistan. The expansion not only increased the cargo throughput, butalso ensured the goods supply for Pakistani and Afghan people,” Lin added.
Regarding defence cooperation between the two countries, Ambassador Haquesaid China-Pakistan friendship was a factor of peace and stability in theregion. It was not directed against any third country.
“It is ironic that a senior Indian military official would make such anabsurd statement, when in recent years India itself has become a stooge ofthe West, playing a second fiddle in their strategy to contain China,” headded.
Ambassador Haque also denied Western media’s speculations that connectedCPEC with so-called debt traps.
“Any attempt to connect CPEC with a so-called ‘debt trap’ would be absurdand reflect a gross lack of understanding of Pakistan’s economy. This hasbeen reflected in the recently concluded rating reviews by internationalcredit rating agencies, all of which have reaffirmed their favorableassessment and outlooks for Pakistan,” he added.
On the contrary, Ambassador Haque said the Chinese capital investment underthe BRI, especially in capital-scarce emerging economies, had helped fillthe gaps in infrastructure and connectivity that were essential tosustained growth and economic modernization.
“As we look beyond the pandemic, I have no doubt that these investmentsunder BRI would play a major role in restoring global growth with CPECleading the way,” he said.
