President Xi Jinping has sought to project an upbeat picture of the impact of the CPEC projects in Pakistan, saying the China-funded venture is a “vivid testament” to their “iron-clad friendship” and vowed to stand firmly with its all-weather ally.
China will continue to work with Pakistan to take their strategic ties to new heights, Xi said as the two countries celebrated the 10th anniversary of the launch of the ambitious CPEC infrastructure projects in Islamabad, a day after a major suicide bombing took place in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
In his congratulatory message to the Decade of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) celebrations event held in Islamabad on Monday, Xi said the $60 billion CPEC infrastructure programme is an “important pioneering project” of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan’s Balochistan with China’s Xinjiang province, is opposed by India as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The event was attended by Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng, who is on a three-day visit to Pakistan.
“China will work with Pakistan to aim for high-standard, sustainable and livelihood-enhancing outcomes and further build the CPEC into an exemplary project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation,” Xi said.
“Since its launch in 2013, China and Pakistan have been advancing CPEC under the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and have achieved a number of early harvests,” he was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
Xi, also the General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China, said the CPEC has added new impetus to
the economic and social development of Pakistan and laid
a good foundation for regional connectivity and integration.
He said the project is a “vivid testament to the all-weather friendship between China and Pakistan”. Stressing that China and Pakistan will continue to improve overall planning and expand and deepen cooperation, Xi said no matter how the international landscape may change, China will always stand firmly with Pakistan.
