From Strength To Strength
significant progress has been made on the ground. In the first phase, energy and infrastructure development were the focus. So far, projects with a combined installed capacity of more than 9 GW have been completed and work on other energy projects is continuing apace. To streamline internal connectivity, roads have been constructed throughout the country.
We are entering the second phase, which is critical for industrialization in Pakistan and connectivity between China, Pakistan and the rest of the world. This phase will involve investment in a range of sectors, including agriculture and science and technology. Special economic zones will also be created to lead our industrialization process.
These projects will contribute to internal physical connectivity, job creation, agricultural modernization and industrial expansion in our country. Most importantly, we envisage the CPEC to be a springboard for transforming Pakistan into a regional connectivity and trade hub.
For China, Pakistan offers
The safety of any foreigner in Pakistan is our responsibility. Pakistan takes the concerns of Chinese workers and engineers seriously.
That is why in the initial years of the CPEC, Pakistan established a 15,000-strong special security division. You will not find any parallel to such an elaborate arrangement. So far, they have done a tremendous job of ensuring the security of hundreds of CPEC project sites and individuals.
Yes, there have been a small number of attacks. It is important to recognize that some countries and their proxy actors do not want the CPEC to succeed. They see an ever-growing Pakistan-China partnership as a threat. We have already explained that India has supported and funded the attacks on the CPEC and Chinese interests in Pakistan through anti-Pakistan militant organizations operating from third countries. Unfortunately, our enemies will continue to seek ways to target us.
Regardless, clear evidence of the strength of the Pakistan-China relationship is that we have come out stronger and strengthened our security protocols. Rest assured, all inimical forces working at the behest of external powers to undermine the CPEC will be defeated. We now have a mechanism to ensure the security of each and every Chinese citizen in Pakistan.
As a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, the full potential of the CPEC will only be realized when there is peace in the region. It is also critical for Pakistan and China to continue working together to stabilize Afghanistan and prevent it from becoming a haven for cross-border terrorism. Along with this, we are keen to implement our joint vision of extending the CPEC to benefit
Afghanistan’s economy and its people.
Overall, as strategic partners, our efforts to jointly deal with shared challenges and threats in the region must intensify.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said last June that Pakistan was under pressure from the U.S. and other Western powers over its close ties with China, and he vowed never to buckle under that pressure. How will Pakistan deal with such intricate conditions?
Pakistan does not believe in camp politics, nor do we want to be pushed in that direction. China has always counseled us to have good relations with all. And we have always maintained that Pakistan’s relations with China are not exclusive. Our good relations with China are based on shared interests and mutual respect, but are not targeted against any other country.
We desire good relations with the U.S., going beyond just a narrow security lens. The officials of both countries are talking on key issues in bilateral relationship. But the U.S. approach of propping up regional states to further their strategic vision has implications for regional stability and we have expressed our concerns about that.
Pakistan wants to safeguard its national interests by having good ties with all major powers. Remember that we were the country that opened up space for the U.S. and China to engage directly in 1970. We still view ourselves as a bridge-maker in deescalating great power competition rather than egging it on.
We see in Pakistan’s location a potential for convergence of shared economic interests among regional states and major powers.
Neighboring countries, including China, are very concerned about the situation in Afghanistan and have been providing assistance to prevent a humanitarian crisis in the country. How can the international community cooperate in safeguarding regional peace and security?
Neighboring states, especially Pakistan, have suffered tremendously due to instability in
Afghanistan over the past four decades. Since the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan erupted in 2001, we have had to bear over 80,000 casualties and $150 billion in economic losses.
Moreover, Pakistan has had to deal with terrorism, drugs and gun culture, and over 4 million Afghan refugees who remain in Pakistan to this day.
As Afghanistan transitions into a new phase following the withdrawal of U.S. forces, the fear of a destabilized Afghanistan and the looming threat of a humanitarian crisis have heightened the potential challenges for neighboring states.
For Pakistan, stability in Afghanistan is non-negotiable. Therefore, not only have we pledged direct humanitarian assistance worth $30 million, in addition to trade concessions, transit relief, etc., but we have also been championing the need for the world to engage Afghanistan for the sake of the average Afghans. Only then will we be able to address the shared challenges of a humanitarian crisis and international terrorism that would affect the entire world directly and indirectly.