ISLAMABAD/BEIJING - Chinese President
Xi Jinping Wednesday assured that his
country will continue
to extend support to
Pakistan for sustainable economic development and harness
its potential as a geo
economic hub.
The president
made these remarks
during a meeting
with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Great Hall
of People in Beijing
on Wednesday. The
Chinese president also announced an additional
assistance package of five hundred million RMB for Pakistan’s
post flood relief and rehabilitation efforts. Both the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to
the all-weather strategic partnership between the two countries that has withstood the test
of time. It was noted that the
two nations have stood firmly
side by side, in realising their
shared vision of peace, stability, development and prosperity.
The two leaders discussed cooperation across a range of issues including defense, trade
and investment, agriculture,
health, education, green energy,
science and technology and disaster preparedness.
They expressed their mutual
commitment to the CPEC. They
highlighted that CPEC’s high
quality development would further strengthen bilateral ties
between Pakistan and China.
In this regard, the two leaders agreed that as a project
of strategic importance, both
sides would make joint efforts
for launching ML-1 as an early
harvest project under the CPEC
framework. They also acknowledged the need for a mass
transit project in Karachi and
agreed to finalise all formalities
for early launching of Karachi
Circular Railway.
The two leaders appreciated the signing of a number of
agreements covering broad
range of bilateral cooperation
during the visit. Reaffirming
Pakistan’s unique historic ties
with China and salience of bilateral friendship for regional
peace and stability, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly
reaffirmed that Pakistan-China friendship enjoyed complete
consensus across the political
spectrum in Pakistan and is a
model of inter-state relations.
Paying tribute to President
Xi’s leadership for China’s
prosperity and his vision for
strengthening of bilateral cooperation, the Prime Minister said
Pakistan drew inspiration from
China’s socio-economic development and national resolve to
country’s progress and prosperity. The two leaders also discussed key issues pertaining to
region including the situation in
Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Afghanistan. They acknowledged that
a peaceful and stable Afghanistan would promote regional
security and economic development. They agreed that CPEC’s
extension to Afghanistan would
strengthen regional connectivity initiatives.
President Xi Jinping and
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif exchanged views on the rapid transformation in the international environment, which
had exacerbated economic challenges for developing countries.
They affirmed their shared belief in dialogue and cooperation based on equality and mutual benefit as critical for global
peace and prosperity.
They agreed that contemporary challenges like climate
change, health pandemic and
growing inequalities needed
unqualified cooperation among
states, in accordance with the
purposes and principles of the
UN Charter. There was complete
unanimity of views between the
two leaders.
The Prime Minister thanked
China’s invaluable assistance to
Pakistan’s relief, rehabilitation
and reconstruction efforts in
the wake of devastation caused
by super floods in the country.
Shehbaz Sharif extended a
warm invitation to President Xi
for visiting Pakistan at an early date, which the later accepted graciously. Pakistan, China
agree to expand CPEC project
Pakistan and China also agreed
to expand China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
The understanding came at a
meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese
Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing on
Wednesday. They also agreed to
early completion of CPEC related projects. The two leaders
held discussion on promoting
bilateral cooperation. Following
the meeting, both the sides also
signed agreements for cooperation in diverse fields.
On arrival at Great Hall of People, the Prime Minister was given a guard of honor. Chinese investment in Pakistan
The leading Chinese companies during the official visit of
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to China have shown their
keen interest to invest in Pakistan’s solar, water and other infrastructure projects. The
prime minister invited the Chinese corporate heads to visit
Pakistan and invest in the government’s comprehensive solar
power project aimed at generating 10,000 mega watt electricity. He also encouraged them to
invest in Pakistan’s alternative
energy resources including the
wind turbine power plants.
Shehbaz Sharif stressed early completion of the infrastructure of Gwadar International
Airport, to which the Chinese
companies assured to complete
the project by the beginning of
year 2023.
The prime minister in a meeting with Chinese investors and
businessmen said the government since assuming power in
April had resolved several issues pertaining to them and had
paid them the pending dues of
Rs 160 billion. An amount of Rs
50 billion has been paid to them
yesterday, he added.
He said a revolving fund had
been established by the State
Bank of Pakistan on the directive of Finance Minister Ishaq
Dar with seed money of Rs 50
billion. He regretted the obstacles faced by the Chinese companies in the past on the matters concerning the payment of
imported coal.
Referring to Dasu Hydropower project incident, Shehbaz
Sharif said the perpetrators had
been arrested and they will be
given exemplary punishment.
The Prime Minister said best
possible security arrangements
are being made for the Chinese
workers and security of those
associated with the CPEC and
other projects will be ensured.
He said the security of Chinese
brothers and sisters is as dear to
him as that of Pakistani citizens.
He vowed addressing on priority the issues relating to the land
acquisition for construction of
Diamer Bhasha Dam and other
hurdles in way to completion of
Mohmand Dam.
Shehbaz Sharif assured provision of foolproof security to the
Chinese personnel working in
Pakistan and said that an acrossthe-board security would be ensured for those deputed on the
China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project and other joint initiatives. He extended
condolences over the death of
Chinese men and women who
lost their lives while at work in
Pakistan.
To address water shortage
in Pakistan’s metropolitan Karachi, the prime minister said
the federal government along
with the Sindh government was
ready to collaborate with the
Chinese companies to resolve
the issue.
The prime minister expressed
confidence that strong business and investment linkages between Pakistan and China
would lead to further cementing of bilateral relations.
He thanked the Chinese companies in taking special interest
in Pakistan’s development projects particularly the Gwadar
Port, Main Line-1 railway track
and several other projects.
He also expressed gratitude
over the generous support extended by China in the wake of
massive flash floods in Pakistan.
Shehbaz Sharif, who arrived
in Beijing Tuesday on a two-day
official visit, is among the first
leaders to visit China following
the historic 20th National Congress of the Communist Party
(CPC) of China that elected Xi
Jinping as general secretary of
the party.