| Imran Khan tells Chinese media they will always find Pakistan as most reliable partner | Let us join our hands together to build a Closer China-Pakistan Community

ISLAMABAD  -  Prime Minister Imran Khan said Thursday that Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthen relations with China in the spheres of politics, trade and economy.

Interacting with the Chinese media on the occasion of centenary celebrations of Communist Party of China (CPC), he said China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a project that gives us optimism and hope for future economic development.

He said a high level committee has also been constituted to monitor progress on the CPEC related projects and make sure there is no impediment in their way. Imran Khan said he is also going to Gwadar next week to oversee the pace of corridor related projects. He said his visit to China is also in the offing which will focus on further strengthening the bilateral relationship.

He said Pakistan hopes to attract the Chinese industries in the Special Economic Zones being established under the second phase of the CPEC. He said we are also looking to benefit from the Chinese expertise in the agriculture sector to bolster the productivity of this sector of the economy.

The Prime Minister said China always stood by Pakistan in difficult times. This is why the people of Pakistan have special place in their heart for their Chinese friends.

Felicitating China on the 100th anniversary of the CPC, Imran Khan said Pakistan admires President Xi Jinping as one of the greatest statesmen of modern world. He said the Chinese President’s drive against corruption and the way he brought millions of people out of poverty is really admirable.  

Responding to a question, Imran Khan said China stands out the way they coped with Covid-19 pandemic. He said we are also thankful to China for donating vaccine which helped Pakistan better tackle with the pandemic.

To a question, the Prime Minister said Pakistan accepts the Chinese version on Xinjiang situation. He said it is hypocritical that there is no mention of worst human rights violations being carried out in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir in the western media. He said there are UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir dispute which accept the right of self-determination of Kashmiri people.

About Afghanistan, the Prime Minister said the breakout of civil war in the country will have serious consequences for the region. Therefore, he said, Pakistan wants political settlement in Afghanistan at all costs.

‘Closer China-Pakistan Community’

Meanwhile, in an article published in a Chinese daily “Global Times”, the Prime Minister Imran Khan reaffirmed to the Chinese nation that they will always find Pakistan as most reliable partner and trusted friend who will stand by China, not only amid the gentle tides of peace and prosperity, but also in the rising storms of peril and predicaments.

He said let us join our hands together to build a Closer China-Pakistan Community of shared future in the new era. Imran Khan said this is a historic moment that two countries are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and China is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.

He said over the past seven decades, our fraternal relations have withstood the vicissitudes of time, and grown from strength to strength, unaffected by changes in the regional and international environment.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan has always upheld the “One-China Policy” and supported China on Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and South China Sea issues.

He said China also stood by Pakistan in supporting our key strategic, economic, and developmental priorities. Imran Khan said Pakistan is one of the earliest supporters and participants of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. He said as a flagship project of the BRI, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor complements my government’s vision of “Naya Pakistan”.

He said in the second phase of the CPEC, our focus is on industrialization, agricultural cooperation, socio-economic development, and job creation.

Food security

Also, Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday said that food security was a great challenge for Pakistan which could even become a national security issue, if timely measures were not taken.

 “The country is faced with new challenges…The population size is growing fast. We need to prepare in advance as how to grow food for them during the next 10 to 15 years,” the prime minister said while addressing the Farmers Convention here which also marked the launch of Agriculture Transformation Plan.

Minister for National Food Security Syed Fakhar Imam, Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Special Assistant on Food Security Jamshed Iqbal Cheema also attended the event, besides hundreds of farmers from across the country.       He said the timely measures were inevitable to ensure the survival of the future generation. He said the nation which failed to grow food to suffice needs of its people, could not excel, rather it should be punished for this slackness.

He said Pakistan imported four million tonnes of wheat last year which had to be paid for in foreign exchange, amidst already existing shortage of dollars. The prime minister also shared the alarming figures of 40 percent stunted growth of children due to malnutrition and that such children could never progress due to limited growth of brain and body.