The best and most memorable time of the year is when oranges start to show their colors” is a popular saying from an ancient Chinese poem to describe the splendid scenery and the joy of harvest in the golden season of autumn. October is a season just like this.
On the occasion of the 69th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan and the 71st anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and as the construction of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) shows an upward trend by achieving new progresses against all the difficulties of the Covid-19 pandemic, “Global Village Space” is dedicating its October issue to CPEC as a representation of the profound and enduring friendship between China and Pakistan and a full embodiment of Pakistan’s staunch attitude in advancing CPEC.
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This is of special significance. On behalf of the National Development and Reform Commission of China and Director He Lifeng, and as the Chinese chairman of the CPEC Joint Cooperation Committee, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the Pakistani side and “Global Village Space”! CPEC is an embodiment of friendship and a fine example of practical cooperation between China and Pakistan.
With our joint efforts, the construction of CPEC has been advanced steadily and remarkable achievements witnessed in all areas. In the past three years, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Imran Khan reached new consensus in multiple areas of CPEC. Important and groundbreaking progress continued to be made. CPEC has become a landmark project for us two sides in our joint efforts to advance the Belt and Road Initiative.
At present, our bilateral relationship is showing a good momentum of development, and mutually beneficial cooperation continues to grow in both width and depth
I especially would like to mention that amid all the difficulties of the Covid-19 pandemic from the beginning of this year, China and Pakistan have managed to work together and achieve progress in all areas of cooperation under CPEC including Gwadar, energy, transportation infrastructure, industrial cooperation, social and economic development, agriculture, science and technology, international cooperation and coordination, and security.
Not only have we secured the normal construction and operation of agreed projects, also we have realized important and substantive progress in some major projects. The Gwadar Port is in normal operation and related auxiliary projects are been advanced as agreed. Major transportation infrastructure projects such as KKH Phase II and Lahore Orange Line have been completed and opened to traffic.
Energy projects have maintained normal operation and provided 1/3 of Pakistan’s electricity supply, ensuring local needs for economic and social development as well as the fight against the pandemic. In addition, encouraging results have also been achieved in areas such as industrial cooperation, social and economic development, agriculture, and science and technology.
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At the same time, relevant Chinese businesses have worked actively to fulfill their social responsibilities. They participated actively in local efforts against the pandemic and provided needed assistance, wining wide recognition. Such success stories of pandemic control and projects construction are a new chapter in China-Pakistan friendship and cooperation.
They are examples to other Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects that epidemic control and project construction can be pursued effectively and successfully at the same time. They demonstrate once again to the wider world that BRI is an initiative of vibrancy and vitality. China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic and cooperative partners.
China is willing and ready to work together with Pakistan to implement the important consensus of the state leaderships of the two countries
No matter what changes there have been internationally or domestically, China-Pakistan friendship has always remained as solid as rocks. The two sides understand each other, trust each other and support each other. At present, our bilateral relationship is showing a good momentum of development, and mutually beneficial cooperation continues to grow in both width and depth.
The two state leaderships have maintained frequent exchanges, and reached important consensus on cooperation in all fields, pointing out the future direction for bilateral relations and the high-quality construction of CPEC. The world today is undergoing major changes unseen in a century.
The international landscape is showing all the turbulence, complexities and instabilities. In this special period, it is even more critical for China and Pakistan to further build up trust, enhance cooperation, rise against difficulties and move forward in joined hands.
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China is willing and ready to work together with Pakistan to implement the important consensus of the state leaderships of the two countries, strive for continued and greater progress in practical cooperation marked by CPEC, build bilateral relations into a fine example of a community with a shared future for mankind, and deliver greater and real benefits to people of us two countries.
Chin-Pak Dosti Zindabad!