BEIJING: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has increased the GDPof Pakistan by two percent, said Yang Jiechi, member of the PoliticalBureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
The Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway is expected to boost Kenya’s GDPby 1.5 percent, Yang made the remarks while addressing the opening ceremonyof the first meeting of the advisory council of the Belt and Road Forum forInternational Cooperation in Beijing, China Daily reported.
Yang is also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission ofthe CPC Central Committee.
Chinese companies have built 82 economic and trade cooperation zones in 24countries along the Belt and Road routes, involving nearly 4,000 companiesand creating 240,000 jobs, he said.
Over the past five years, trade volume in goods between China and countriesinvolved in the initiative exceeded $5 trillion, and direct investmentstands at over $70 billion, he added.
Under the framework of the initiative, he said, over 11,000 freight trainsrun between China and Europe, linking nearly 100 cities across the region.He noted that Piraeus Port has added about $792 million to Greece’s GDP.Yang said the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation willrepresent a strong voice in opposing protectionism and promoting an openworld economy. The forum, which will be held in Beijing in April, willreview progress made over the past five years and draw a blueprint forfuture cooperation in various areas, he added. Yang said the second forumwill send a positive signal to firmly support multilateralism, jointlybuild an open world economy, promote global connectivity and advance globaldevelopment. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the BRI, and over 140countries and international organizations have signed agreements on jointlybuilding the Belt and Road with China, Yang said.
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Establishing the advisory council of the forum is an important achievementof multilateral cooperation for the Belt and Road, Yang said, adding thathe hopes councillors will offer advice and suggestions to promoteinternational cooperation under the initiative and help it serve as a thinktank for the forum.
The advisory council is a non-profit consultation agency on internationalpolicy.
Members include former world leaders and renowned scholars from home andabroad. – APP
