ISLAMABAD -  Top Chinese diplomat in Islamabad Yao Jing has said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor neither carries any hidden agenda nor has it anything to hide.

Security situation in Pakistan has improved as compared to that it was 10 years ago, Yao Jing said in an exclusive sitting with Waqt News the other day. He said the CPEC was a mutual project between Beijing and Islamabad that would benefit the people from south Asian region and the world. He affirmed the CPEC contained inclusive and special packages and plans.

To a question, the Chinese diplomat said a few individuals and countries issued controversial statements and expressed their concerns against the CPEC, which was their right.

Without naming the United States, India and other anti-CPEC nations, the envoy continued by saying, “I want to say from the core of my heart that neither anything exists in the CPEC to hide nor is there any hidden agenda in it.”

Yao said, “I invite all the countries having concerns against the CPEC to visit Pakistan, see the project, our close cooperation, sincerity in it and benefits for the people of this region to have a better understanding of the real motive behind the corridor.” That is how these countries could have better attitudes towards the CPEC, the envoy said.

Regarding the security situation in Pakistan, the Chinese envoy said, “Security is the basic condition for economic development.”

He said 10 years ago he worked at the Chinese mission in Islamabad and became well aware of the security situation then. “I have again returned to Islamabad as an ambassador and can see improvement in the security situation here,” Yao commented. He appreciated the efforts made by the government and the armed forces of Pakistan to improve the security situation across the country.

Responding to a question, Yao said over 30,000 Chinese engineers and labourers were working on various projects in Pakistan. These Chinese citizens have not expressed any dissatisfaction over security situation, he said. “The Chinese citizens are satisfied with the security arrangements in Pakistan,” Yao said.

Yao expressed the Chinese government’s gratitude for Pakistani administration for making the best arrangements for the security of Chinese individuals and the projects in Pakistan.

The challenges are not only for Pakistan but for the whole region and the administrations in Beijing and Islamabad are meeting them through a close cooperation, the ambassador concluded.

(Anwer Abbas is a correspondent for Waqt News)