KARACHI: The Consul General of People’s Republic of China in Karachi Yang Yundong has said under the guidance of Chinese president Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif China-Pakistan all weather strategic cooperation would continue to deepen and recent visit to Pakistan by Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang after PM Shehbaz’s Beijing visit was manifestation such high level cooperation.
He said this during media briefing at Chinese Consulate on Wednesday. Yang Yundong said currently, China-Pakistan iron-clad friendship is everlasting and ever-refreshing.
The Pakistan-China relationship is of strategic significance and both sides firmly support each other’s core interests and development paths, the China-Pakistan relationship has always been a priority in China’s foreign relations. Any attempt to disrupt or undermine Pakistan-China cooperation would be failed, Chinese CG added.
He said two sides will continuously strengthen practical cooperation across various fields, jointly upgrade the CPEC and accelerate the construction of major projects in railways, highways, and ports.
Following the important common understanding between leaders of the two countries, both sides are ready to advance the upgradation of ML-1, and agreed to build Karachi-Hyderabad section in line with the modality of implementing in a phased manner. The two sides will work together to refine and optimize the construction plan of Karachi-Hyderabad section and formulate financing and implementation plans that are feasible and sustainable at the earliest.
He said the two countries will actively seek financial support for the Karakoram Highway (Raikot-Thakot) realignment project under the terms of the Framework Agreement of the project, and facilitate the project’s early execution.
He said Pakistan and China will speed up the development of the auxiliary infrastructure of the Gwadar Port, steadily attract more cargo shipments to the port, find a solution to inadequate water and power supply at an early date, accelerate the development of the port’s industrial zone, and solidly enhance connectivity between the port and other parts of Pakistan. The New Gwadar International Airport project aided by China has been completed.
Yang said we are also deepening cooperation in agriculture, mining, information technology, energy, trade, and culture. China supports its companies to invest in Pakistan’s Special Economic Zones in line with the market and commercial principles. It is expected that the Pakistani side will improve its business environment and provide a favorable policy framework for Chinese investment.
He said China will continue support Pakistan to improve the well-being of its people, aiming to ensure that development benefits reach all regions and communities. Under the framework of the CPEC Working Group on Socio-Economic Cooperation, the two sides will strengthen their cooperation particularly in areas like healthcare, agriculture, education, climate response, and disaster prevention, while continuing to promote projects that improve people’s livelihoods.
He said his country firmly supports Pakistan’s efforts in combating terrorism and asks Pakistan to take targeted security measures to comprehensively safeguard the safety and security of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan, so as to create a safe and secure environment for the cooperation between our two countries.
He stressed that media cooperation was an important part of China-Pakistan relations as it plays a crucial role in advancing people-to-people exchanges, promoting mutual understanding and enriching the content of bilateral relations.
He hoped that the media friends will continue to report extensively and positively on China’s economic and social development, China’s foreign policy as well as China-Pakistan relations and the construction of the CPEC and make more positive contribution to the enhancement of mutual understanding between the people of our two countries and the deepening of the development of bilateral relations.
He expressed hope that the media of the two countries strengthen communication and exchanges and push forward practical cooperation. The Consulate General of China in Karachi is willing to play the role of a bridge to actively provide assistance and will continue to invite the media friends to visit China to experience China’s development and progress by yourselves and the profound friendship between the Chinese and Pakistani people.
Elaborating China’s 75 years journey, especially after launch of the reform and opening up policy in 1978, China has achieved remarkable economic and social development. China has maintained an average annual economic growth rate of 8.9% for 45 consecutive years, increasing its economic scale by 47 times. It has become the world’s largest industrial manufacturer, largest trading nation, largest foreign exchange reserve holder, and the second-largest economy, he added.
Yang Yundong said China now has built the most complete modern industrial system in the world and has realized industrialization in just a few decades, which took developed Western countries several centuries.
At the same time, China’s system and capacity for governance have been further modernized. China now has put in place the world’s biggest systems of education, social security, medical care and community-based institutions of democracy, has become one of the safest and most orderly countries in the world, and the happiness index of the Chinese people is constantly improving.
Referring to the report of 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, he said report clearly stated that China is a large developing country and is still in the primary stage of socialism. No matter how China’s economy develops or how its international status rises, China will always be a member of the developing world, striving for common rights and interests and safeguarding shared benefits with the vast number of developing countries.
He said as a large developing country and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China has made positive and significant contributions to world peace and development over the past several decades. In the 1960s and 1970s, despite its own limited wealth and resources, China helped build some major infrastructure projects like Karakoram Highway and Tanzania Zambia Railway, which vividly illustrated the “true friendship in times of need” between China and Pakistan, as well as other countries.
He said from 1979 to 2023, China contributed 24.8% annually to global economic growth, ranking first in the world. It has taken the lead in achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and has contributed over 70% to global poverty reduction.
He said in 2013, President Xi Jinping proposed the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations have signed the BRI cooperation agreements with China for now. Over the past 10 years, under the principles of “extensive consultation “joint contribution” and “shared benefit”, the BRI has mobilized nearly one trillion U.S. dollars in investments worldwide, initiated over 3,000 cooperative projects and created 420,000 jobs for BRI partner countries.
According to the World Bank, the BRI has led to a 4.1% increase in trade, a 5% increase in foreign investment, and a 3.4% rise in GDP for low-income countries, Chinese Consul General said and hoped that by 2030, the BRI is expected to generate 1.6 trillion U.S. dollars in global benefits annually, accounting for 1.3% of global GDP, helping nearly 40 million people get rid of poverty around the world. The BRI has become a platform for global cooperation and a breakthrough for the world economy to overcome low growth.
He said China is one of the most peace-loving countries in the world. For a long time in human history, China was one of the most powerful countries in the world, but it has left no record of colonization and invasion of other countries. China’s adherence to the path of peaceful development is an inheritance and development of the peace-loving cultural tradition of the Chinese nation over thousands of years.
Yang Yundong said since its founding, the People’s Republic of China has remained firm in pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace, and has always been committed to emphasizing its foreign policy goals of upholding world peace and promoting common development. Even as China grows stronger today, it has no intention of turning itself into an American-Soviet-style super-hegemony.
China does not pursue the path of great power rivalry, nor does it follow the traditional approach of emerging nations challenging established powers. It does not engage in colonialism, or enslave underdeveloped countries. It does not undermine the existing international political structure, challenge the international order, or pursue spheres of influence. Instead, China advocates for the principle of peaceful coexistence and strives to live in harmony and develop together with all countries in the world.
He said nowadays, China will work with all countries in the world to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and implement the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping, and actively advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.
He also outlined China’s eight actions for global development, including : on top of RMB 700 billion yuan added financing windows and an additional RMB 80 billion yuan injection into the Silk Road Fund, China is moving ahead with the development of the multidimensional Belt and Road connectivity network to build a green Silk Road and empower a digital Silk Road.
Implement the Global Development Initiative, build the Global South research center, and put to good use of the 20 billion US dollars of development funds to support developing countries. Join the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty and support the G20 in continuing to convene the Development Ministerial Meeting, and will stay a committed host of the International Conference on Food Loss and Waste.
From now to 2030, China’s imports from other developing countries are likely to top 8 trillion US dollars. Author of the book China Leads Dr Junaid Ahmad, former Vice Chancellor Sindh Madressatul Islam University Professor Muhammad Ali Shaikh also spoke on the occasion and shed light on all weather friendship of China and Pakistan.
