Stability in Pakistan integral to China’s development: Ambassador
LAHORE, (MILLAT ONLINE):Ambassador of People’s Republic
of China to Pakistan, Yao Jing, has said that China cannot
afford to lose Pakistan because stability in its neighbourhood
is integral to China’s development.
He made these remarks while speaking at an interactive
policy dialogue organized by Lahore Centre for Peace Research
(LCPR) on the topic “Pakistan-China Relations in the 21st
century” which was arranged in his honour, said in a press release issued here Saturday.
In his keynote speech, the Ambassador of China emphasized
that Pakistan matters to China’s vision of development and
growth as enshrined in last year’s 19th China’s Communist
Party Convention.
He said that Pakistan’s importance to China would continue
to increase because of the all-weather Pak-China relations
and centrality of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
route in the Belt and Road Initiative(BRI).
Yao said that a stable Pakistan was vital to China’s
growth. The Ambassador reminded the distinguished gathering
that China envisages CPEC to be a lead project for connectivity
and peace.
He said the project was not only for the benefit of
Pakistan and China as ‘ownership of CPEC finally belongs to
the whole world’.
Earlier, Ambassador Shamshad Ahmed Khan, former foreign
secretary and currently Chairman Lahore Center for Peace
Research, highlighted the unwavering commitment of Pakistan
and China’s leadership to build stronger economic and social
ties between the two countries.
He emphasised that China’s relations with Pakistan were not
based on transient interests but have remained unconditional. He
said that China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a huge
regional agenda with mutual interests rooted in China’s and
Pakistan’s common vision for a better future and prosperity
of the region.
Rooted within BRI was China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC) initiative that harbours economic prosperity for greater
benefit of the entire region. He praised the Chinese leadership
in promoting world-wide connectivity for socio-economic development
and reiterated that Pakistan was also determined in its commitment
to support CPEC.
The event was attended by the Chinese Consul General Long
Dingbin, former Finance Minister, Dr Salman Shah, former Pakistan
diplomats and notable defense analysts and people from the
academia.