ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday reiterated that Pakistanwill not change relations with time-tested friend China under any pressureas China stood by us in every difficult time.
Speaking with Chinese media on the occasion of the centenary celebrationsof the Communist Party of China (CPC), the premier said Pakistan wants tofurther strengthen economic, trade, and political ties with the ironfriend. Adding that the US-China conflict creates complications in theregion.
PM termed the next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) asvery ‘encouraging’ for Pakistan. We are hopeful that the Chinese industrywill be interested in the special zones of CPEC, he opined.
Felicitating the East Asian country on the 100th anniversary of theCommunist Party, Khan said the Chinese president is considered a modern-daypolitician in Pakistan. Pakistani people are impressed by the Chinesepresident’s war against corruption.
Khan also added that he is also going to Gwadar next week to oversee thepace of corridor-related projects. He said his visit to China is also inthe offing which will focus on further strengthen the bilateralrelationship.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan hopes to attract the Chinese industries inthe Special Economic Zones being established under the second phase of theCPEC.
He said we are also looking to benefit from the Chinese expertise in theagriculture sector to bolster the productivity of this sector of theeconomy.
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The Prime Minister said China always stood by Pakistan in difficult times.This is why the people of Pakistan have a special place in their hearts fortheir Chinese friends.
Felicitating China on the 100th anniversary of the CPC, Imran Khan saidPakistan admires President Xi Jinping as one of the greatest statesmen ofthe modern world. He said the Chinese President’s drive against corruptionand the way he brought millions of people out of poverty is reallyadmirable.
Responding to a question, Imran Khan said China stands out the way theycoped with the Covid-19 pandemic. He said we are also thankful to China fordonating vaccines which helped Pakistan better tackle the pandemic.
To a question, the Prime Minister said Pakistan accepts the Chinese versionof the Xinjiang situation. He said it is hypocritical that there is nomention of the worst human rights violations being carried out in Indianillegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir in the western media. He said thereare UN Security Council resolutions on the Kashmir dispute which accept theright of self-determination of the Kashmiri people.
About Afghanistan, the Prime Minister said the breakout of civil war in thecountry will have serious consequences for the region. Therefore, he said,Pakistan wants a political settlement in Afghanistan at all costs.
