Pakistani leadership felicitates Chinese president on re-election.
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan expects further closeness with China under re-elected Xi Jinping who has been a strong support of Pakistan during his last ten years in power.
Yesterday, the Communist Party of China formally re-elected Xi Jinping, the party’s General Secretary for another five years, paving the way for his historic third term as Chinese president. The widely expected announcement came after a week-long Communist Party Congress.
Shanghai Communist Party chief Li Qiang, 63, followed Xi onto the stage at the Great Hall of the People as the new Politburo Standing Committee was introduced, putting him in line to succeed Li Keqiang as premier when he retires in March. The other members of the seven-man Standing Committee are Zhao Leji and Wang Huning, who return from the previous committee, and newcomers Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi. Li Qiang is also new to the Standing Committee. President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif were quick to felicitate President Xi Jinping on his re-election.
The president, on his twitter handle, extended his heartiest congratulations to President Xi Jinping on his re-election as CPC General Secretary, and the best wishes for his health and happiness. “He is a true friend of Pakistan and champion for all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China,” the president said.
On his twitter handle, the prime minister posted, “On behalf of the entire Pakistani nation, I congratulate
President Xi Jinping on his re-election as CPC General Secretary for the 3rd term.” The prime minister said that it was a glowing tribute to President Xi’s sagacious stewardship and unwavering devotion for serving the people of China. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is planning to visit China soon and discuss the bilateral and regional issues. In recent years, Pakistan and China have paid special attention to their economic cooperation. Pakistan was amongst the first countries to join the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
As a pilot project of the BRI, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) boasts of tangible outcomes in about six years of its life.
First, it has helped Pakistan overcome its persistent energy shortfall. Pakistan was incurring a loss of about $4 billion on account of this shortfall prior to the CPEC.
Some major energy projects have been completed in record time and more are in the pipeline, keeping with Pakistan’s strategy to diversify its energy mix. Chinese companies have used super critical technology in coal-based power plants to prevent environmental pollution. Also, some key infrastructure and transportation projects, including the upgrading of Karakoram Highway have been undertaken.
The work on the Gwadar Port and allied infrastructure is ongoing. Work is also picking up on three priority Special Economic Zones.
China has so far invested about $26 billion in these projects, generating about 75,000 local jobs. For several years now, China has been Pakistan’s largest investor and the biggest trading partner. Chinese investment in the CPEC is expected to grow with the addition of new projects.
The CPEC’s scope has been expanded in its next phase to include cooperation in agriculture, industry, oil and gas, science and technology, information technology, education, tourism and socio-economic projects.
The CPEC is an economic partnership project with no hidden agenda. It is meant to help Pakistan in overcoming its serious development deficit and to facilitate its emergence as a regional trade and energy hub.
This conforms to Pakistan’s pivot to geo-economics paradigm in its foreign policy. China is opening its western regions and their proximity to Pakistan offers new avenues for economic collaboration.
Pakistan wishes to leverage its unique advantage of being a bridgehead between China, South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East, through enhanced trade and investment that will benefit all the regions.
The Central Asian Republics (CARs), which are landlocked, are keen to take advantage of the CPEC to reach the Pakistani ports of Gwadar and Karachi.
Pakistani diplomats said President Xi Jinping had been a close friend of Pakistan and during his leadership; the two countries had come even closer.
“His third term will definitely bring us further closer. We hope to complete the CPEC projects in time. Xi Jinping is a great friend of Pakistan,” said one diplomat.
Another diplomat said PM Shehbaz Sharif will discuss more cooperation with China in the years to come. “The PM will assure the Chinese leadership to expedite work on the CPEC projects,” he added.