*ISLAMABAD – **Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing responds over reports of halt inPakistan China economic cooperation in wake of deadly Coronavirus.*
*The ongoing epidemic of novel coronavirus would not halt economiccooperation between China and Pakistan, said Chinese Ambassador toPakistan, Yao Jing.*
“We are thankful to the Pakistani government and people for showingsolidarity in our difficult time which provide us strength and moreconfidence”, he said while addressing a special Seminar titled “Six Yearsof Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC).”
The envoy said that after six years successful implementation of CPECproject under the umbrella of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), it is nowestablished that CPEC and other corridors under BRI are projects ofinternational cooperation, where 126 countries joined these projects.
“I am looking CPEC in the context of historic China and Pakistan relations,where CPEC provided new focus and new opportunities on economic front”,said Yao adding that CPEC under more clear and consistent policies coupledwith set direction will help Pakistan in the long term.
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Responding to a question of high cost of electricity from power projectsdeveloped under CPEC, the Chinese envoy said that the agreed tariff wereaccording to the market rate and it was now responsibility of thegovernment to pass on those agreed rates to the consumers.
The rapid spread of a new coronavirus in China, the world’s second largesteconomy, has dented the global economy with a number of corporationsshutting down their businesses in China on temporary basis.
Meanwhile, China extended its Lunar New Year holiday as a measure tocontain an outbreak that has now infected over 20,000 people and killedmore than 400, and some firms are now extending factory closures.
