BEIJING – Ambassador of People’s Republic of China to Pakistan, Yao Jing,has said that China cannot afford to lose Pakistan because stability in itsneighbourhood is integral to China’s development.
He made these remarks while speaking at an interactive policy dialogueorganized by Lahore Centre for Peace Research (LCPR) on the topic“Pakistan-China Relations in the 21st century” which was arranged in hishonour, said in a press release issued here Saturday.
In his keynote speech, the Ambassador of China emphasized that Pakistanmatters to China’s vision of development and growth as enshrined in lastyear’s 19th China’s Communist Party Convention.
He said that Pakistan’s importance to China would continueto increasebecause of the all-weather Pak-China relations and centrality of the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) route in the Belt and RoadInitiative(BRI).
Yao said that a stable Pakistan was vital to China’s growth. TheAmbassador reminded the distinguished gathering that China envisages CPECto be a lead project for connectivity and peace.
He said the project was not only for the benefit of Pakistan and China as‘ownership of CPEC finally belongs to the whole world’.
Earlier, Ambassador Shamshad Ahmed Khan, former foreign secretary andcurrently Chairman Lahore Center for Peace
Research, highlighted the unwavering commitment of Pakistan and China’sleadership to build stronger economic and social ties between the twocountries.
He emphasised that China’s relations with Pakistan were not based ontransient interests but have remained unconditional. He said that China’sBelt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a huge regional agenda with mutualinterests rooted in China’s and Pakistan’s common vision for a betterfuture and prosperity of the region.
Rooted within BRI was China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiativethat harbours economic prosperity for greater benefit of the entire region.He praised the Chinese leadership in promoting world-wide connectivity forsocio-economic development and reiterated that Pakistan was also determinedin its commitment to support CPEC.
The event was attended by the Chinese Consul General Long Dingbin, formerFinance Minister, Dr Salman Shah, former Pakistan diplomats and notabledefense analysts and people from the academia. – APP /AFP