Imran Khan, Xi express resolve to advance CPEC

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Pakistan and China have expressed resolve to advance China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and build Pakistan-China community of shared future in the new era. The resolve was expressed at a cordial meeting between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO Council of Heads of State summit in Bishkek on Friday. The two sides agreed to closely coordinate on challenges emerging from the changing global dynamics and affirmed that the time-tested Pakistan-China relationship will continue to move from strength to strength. They expressed satisfaction that Pakistan and China have identical views on various international and regional issues. The two leaders strongly reaffirmed the Pakistan-China all weather strategic cooperative partnership. The prime minister thanked China for its steadfast support on all issues of Pakistan's core interest and expressed satisfaction at the close coordination between the two sides on multilateral issues. The Chinese side acknowledged Pakistan's efforts to promote regional peace and the measures in the fight against terrorism. “Our other endowments include a vast pool of skilled human resource, a large agrarian base, tremendous tourism potential, diverse mineral wealth, and a developed IT infrastructure,” he said. He said Pakistan builts its partnerships based on mutual respect, sovereign equality and equal benefit.

CPEC is fast reaching fruition

Imran said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which he noted was the flagship project of President Xi’s far-sighted Belt and Road Initiative, is fast reaching fruition. “Gwadar Port, at its southern end, marks the only point of convergence of the maritime Belt and the overland Road.” The premier shared that he had visited China in April for the second Belt and Road Forum. “In time, CPEC is destined to catalyze the creation of an integrated pan-Asian sphere of shared prosperity,” he said. Prime Minister Khan said that the world was seeing the advent of a multi-polar global order for the first time in ages.