China-Pakistan friendship is based on good faith, morality and compassion and this cooperation between the two countries will set a new example for building a community with a shared future for mankind, said Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong in an interview with China Economic Net on Friday.
Giving an overview of the history of China-Pakistan friendship and the expectations for the future of relations, Ambassador Nong said, “China and Pakistan treat each other with all sincerity and share weal and woe. Over the past 70 years, no matter how the international situation changes, the two countries have always showed mutual understanding and supported each other, providing a model of state-to-state relations. Friendly exchanges between the two countries have been passed on from generation to generation.” “We will never forget that Pakistan was one of the first countries to recognize the People’s Republic of China and the first Islamic country to establish diplomatic relations with China,” he further said.
“At the crucial moments when China made great efforts to break an external blockade, restore its legal seat in the United Nations and pursue reform and opening-up, and when it suffered natural disasters such as the devastating earthquake in Wenchuan in 2008, Pakistan always steps up and provides us with selfless and valuable support,” he said. “Likewise, China also gives staunch support and generous assistance to Pakistan when it comes to its sovereignty, security and development,” he added.
He said as the world is undergoing substantial changes unseen in a century, China-Pakistan relations are of growing significance and cooperation between the two countries has intensified. “I believe that China-Pakistan cooperation will keep widening, and China-Pakistan relations will set a new example for building a community with a shared future for mankind,” he added.
The ambassador said the first phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has produced fruitful results, most notably in energy, infrastructure and other fields. He said CPEC is a calling card of Belt and Road cooperation and China-Pakistan cooperation. “It has brought USD25.4 billion in investment to Pakistan, and 46 projects have been completed or under construction, helping Pakistan add 5.2 million kilowatts of electricity, 880,000 meters of power transmission lines and 510 kilometers of highways. CPEC has achieved key preliminary objectives,” he added.
The envoy said the areas of cooperation between the two countries have also expanded from the Gwadar Port, energy, transportation infrastructure and industry to the likes of public services, agriculture, science and technology, and international cooperation. “Despite the COVID-19 pandemic since the beginning of last year, the CPEC has maintained normal operation with no layoffs under the premise of strict pandemic prevention and control measures, demonstrated great resilience and vitality and achieved substantial results, fully reflecting the vision of the Belt and Road as a road of cooperation, health, recovery and growth,” he added.
He said in the second stage of CPEC, the key areas of cooperation include agriculture, industry and construction of industrial parks. Agriculture and industry are important areas Pakistan is most concerned about and also the most promising areas for China-Pakistan cooperation, he said. “Cooperation in agriculture has seen rapid progress, which mainly includes three aspects. The first is to put in place mechanisms,” he added.
He said China-Pakistan industrial cooperation is moving towards more diversified and high value-added fields and those empowered by smart technology. He said China welcomes the expansion of exports from Pakistan and has never sought after a trade surplus with Pakistan. The current trade deficit is largely attributed to deep-seated reasons such as the different stages of economic development and the differences in industrial structure, he added.
