ISLAMABAD: Chinese Ambassador Mr Jiang Zaidong Tuesday said that China, Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has brought a total of US $25.4 billion in direct investment, 236000 jobs, 510km of highways, more than 8000 megawatts of electricity and 886km of core transmission network, continuously enhancing the capacity of sustainable development for Pakistan.
“As a landmark project of Belt and Road Initiative cooperation, batch after batch of projects have been launched, completed and put into operation under the framework of CPEC …
At the same time, counter-terrorism cooperation, defense cooperation and people-to-people exchanges are also fruitful, constantly enriching the connotation of all-weather strategic cooperation between the two countries,” said the Ambassador while addressing the audiences at a seminar titled “friendship forever” celebrating China Pakistan establishing 73 years of diplomatic relations at Pakistan-China center.
He said since the newly born People’s Republic of China established diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 1951, the two countries have embarked on a new chapter of China-Pakistan friendship.
“It has evolved into an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership. From the Chinese tallow tree planted by Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in Shakarparian Park in 1964, to the pine trees planted by President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the Prime Minister House in 2015, under the nurturing of the leaders of our two countries and the joint efforts of both sides, China-Pakistan friendship has grown into a towering tree, deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples,” he said.
He said over the past 73 years, leaders of the two countries frequently visited each other like close relatives, guiding the development of China-Pakistan relations. In 2015, President Xi Jinping’s historic state visit to Pakistan elevated the bilateral relations to all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, and set the goal of building an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, which provided fundamental principles and operational guidelines to the development of China-Pakistan relations, he added.
Immediately after Pakistan’s general election, President Xi Jinping sent congratulatory letters to President Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz respectively on their inauguration; Premier Li Qiang sent congratulatory letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz as well, all of which acted as strong driving force for our all-weather strategic cooperation.
“Last week, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dar paid his first official visit to China in new capacity. Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Deputy Premier Ding Xuexiang met with DPM Dar, and Member of the Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with DPM Dar respectively, which reflected the great importance both sides attach to China-Pakistan relations. Under the strategic guidance of our leaders, the iron-clad friendship between China and Pakistan stood the test of times. It has become as solid as rock and as heavy as mountain,” he added.
“This Pakistan-China Friendship Center where we are now is a showcase of China-Pakistan traditional friendship from generation to generation. Tough times reveal true friends, just like pure gold can stand the test of fire. History will remember that at critical moments when New China restored the lawful seat in the United Nations, or faced with natural disasters and difficult challenges, our iron-clad brother of Pakistan always stepped forward and provided precious help. History will also remember that China has always been Pakistan’s strong backing when Pakistan was in need,” he said.
“From Pakistan’s generous provision of tents to China during the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, to China’s full efforts to help Pakistan cope with the “flood of the century” in 2022; from the firm support between the two countries in jointly fighting the COVID-19, to the selfless assistance projects such as the Gwadar Seawater Desalination Plant and Pakistan-China Friendship Hospital which completed last year, the China-Pakistan traditional friendship is getting wider and longer like the Karakoram Highway,” he added.
“Against the backdrop of turbulent international situations and a continuously declining world economy, we are ready to provide new opportunities for world development with new achievements of Chinese modernization, and first benefit our iron-clad friend Pakistan. We are ready to work with the Pakistani side to implement the consensus reached by leaders of both countries, promote China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership to a new level and achieve new results, and truly benefit both countries and two peoples,” he said.
“We are ready to further promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with the Pakistani side, implement the Global Development Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative (GSI) and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), and make positive contributions to building an equal and orderly multipolar world as well as a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization,” he added.
“Before conclude, I would also like to share the latest development in the Taiwan Strait. Yesterday, at the so-called ‘inauguration ceremony,’ the leaders of China’s Taiwan region wantonly preached the separatist fallacy of ‘Taiwan independence,’ openly incited confrontation between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and vainly attempted to ‘rely on foreign countries to seek independence.’ Recently, certain countries have wantonly distorted UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 and maliciously hyped the so-called ‘undetermined status of Taiwan’ in a vain attempt to ‘use Taiwan to contain China’,” he added.
He said that in the face of this countercurrent, political dignitaries from many countries, including President Zardari, and people from all walks of life have made it clear that they abide by the one-China principle and firmly support China’s cause of opposing “independence” and promoting reunification and justice. This once again shows that a just cause enjoys abundant support while an unjust cause finds little support.
“Relying on foreign countries to seek independence” is doomed to failure, and that “using Taiwan to contain China will not succeed. No matter how the situation in Taiwan changes, no matter who is in power, the fact that both sides of the strait belong to one China will not be changed, and the general trend of China’s eventual reunification will not be stopped,” concluded the Ambassador.
