ISLAMABAD: In a surprise, Top US diplomat again strongly criticised China Pakistan Economic Corridor CPEC Project.
Senior US diplomat Alice Wells on Tuesday renewed criticism of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), impliedly urging Islamabad to rethink its involvement with it.
Amb Wells’ speech at a think tank event, which was attended by members of academia and representatives of civil society, criticised the flagship project of China’s One Belt One Road Initiative.
She alleged that there was no transparency in CPEC projects, claiming Pakistan’s debt burden was growing due to the Chinese financing. Ad
While her arguments looked like a repeat of the remarks she had earlier delivered at the Wilson Centre in Washington on Nov 21, 2019, the claims were renewed during her Islamabad trip a few days after Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi sought closer engagement and a robust trade and investment relationship between Pakistan and the US.
FM Qureshi had sought help from the US to get the country off the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list.
While reiterating the allegations against CPEC, Amb Wells said companies blacklisted by the World Bank had got contracts in the CPEC.