ISLAMABAD – Pakistan and China’s improving trade ties in the form of Beltand Road Initiative (BRI) have long been subjected to fault-finding by theWestern Media and have often times been relegated to a “debt trap” and“neo-colonialism”, reported Belt and Road Newslink.
Clarifying the misgivings attached, former prime minister Shaukat Aziz saidthat the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a mutually beneficialway of promoting the development of both countries.
The remarks came while former PM Aziz was attending the Second Belt andRoad Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing.
In an interview with a reporter, Aziz elaborated on the think-tankexchanges between the two neighbouring countries.
In response to a question about the significance of the network, Aziz saidThe Belt and Road is a very interesting concept.
“In my view, it’s a positive development for many countries includingPakistan. And basically, the way Ilook at Belt and Road is connectivity,” he added.
Read Top Stories
The former premier stated that BRI will provide a platform for betterconnectivity. He stressed that BRI can manifest itself on road connections,air connections, sea connections, and digital connections because digitalnow is a huge part of the ecosystem.
He further underscored that the Gwadar port will create a lot ofopportunities of the local people.
Dismissing reports that the BRI was a ‘debt trap’, Aziz said that the BRIwas a mechanism to improve the quality of life of your people of thecountry.
*This article originally appeared on Belt and Road News.*
