ISLAMABAD – Pakistan and China on Tuesday vowed to expedite completion ofprojects associated with the multi-billion-dollar China Pakistan EconomicCorridor (CPEC) and also to implement the second phase of theChina–Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Acknowledging measures taken by Pakistan, to advance the CPEC projects,China maintained that the second phase of the CPEC will pave the way forenhanced Chinese investments in Pakistan and thus will prove instrumentalin consolidating Pakistan’s economic development.
The understanding was reached at a meeting between visiting Pakistani PrimeMinister Imran Khan, and his Chinese counterpart, Li Keqiang at the GreatHall of the People in Beijing, a statement issued by Pakistan’s ForeignMinistry said.
On his arrival, Khan-accompanied by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi,and other cabinet members, said the all-weather strategic cooperativepartnership between the two allies has served the fundamental interests ofthe two countries and contributed to peace, development and stability inthe region.
”Both leaders maintained that frequent and substantive bilateral exchangeswere contributing to elevating the all-weather strategic cooperativepartnership to new heights and were reinforcing people-to-people ties,”the statement said.
Terming the multi-billion-dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)project “pivotal” to accelerating Islamabad’s economic development andregional prosperity, Khan assured that the expeditious completion of theCPEC projects, was the foremost priority of his government, the statementsaid.
Premier Li was apprised of the actions undertaken recently to fast-trackCPEC projects and to push the development momentum in Pakistan’s strategicGwadar district- a key project of the CPEC.
The $64 billion CPEC, signed in 2014, aims to connect China’s strategicallyimportant northwestern Xinjiang province to the Gwadar port in southernPakistan, through a network of roads, railways, and pipelines to transportcargo, oil, and gas.
Read Top Stories
Both leaders agreed that the implementation of the second phase ofChina-Pakistan FTA would lead to more trade, economic and investmentopportunities between the two countries.
The two sides also discussed regional security situation including humanrights and humanitarian situation in Indian-administered Kashmir followingNew Delhi’s scrapping of the disputed valley’s longstanding special rightsin August.
Khan, according to the statement, apprised Premier Li of the latestdevelopments and the importance of urgent action by the internationalcommunity to alleviate the sufferings of the Kashmiri people in thelockdown.
In a related significant development, Pakistan’s Army Chief, Gen QamarJaved Bajwa, who is also visiting Beijing met Commander Army General HanWeiguo, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and General Xu Qiliang, ViceChairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) at the PLA’s headquarters.
”Regional security environment including situation in Indian OccupiedJammu & Kashmir (IOJ&K) and Pak China defense cooperation were discussed,”a separate statement from Pakistan army’s media wing said.
Gen Bajwa, it added, apprised the Chinese military leadership aboutconsequences of the ongoing situation in the disputed region if it’s notamicably resolved for which “India needs to respect UN resolutions andensure the human rights of Kashmiris.”
