ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Sunday said that his recent visit to China and bilateral meetings with the Chinese leadership had added further strength to the time-tested ties and would accelerate the pace of work on the ongoing projects of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
During an interaction with a number of former ambassadors and thinktanks, the prime minister said that his recent visit to China was very relevant with regard to the fast-changing global political map.
The Chinese leadership had appreciated his government’s steps to overcome the Covid 19 pandemic, and the economic indicators which were positive, he said, adding they reaffirmed economic support to Pakistan through specific projects.
The prime minister opined that his visit further added strength to the ties between the two countries.
Federal ministers and PM’s special assistants were also present during the interaction.
The prime minister said he held the meeting with President Xi Jinping after a period of two years since the outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic. These bilateral meetings added further impetus to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects, he said while completely trashing an impression over the slow-paced work on these projects.
About Afghanistan, the prime minister said the international community had a consensus over this issue.
Europe and all the neighboring states of Afghanistan agreed to avoid humanitarian crises there and stressed upon de-freezing of Afghan’s assets. The US also understood and realized the situation. All had a consensus that steps should be taken so that Afghanistan should not be descended into chaos.
To a query, the prime minister said that after the 18th amendment, issues had surfaced with regard to decision making and cited the difference in prices of wheat in Sindh and other provinces.
Referring to the functioning of the Chinese government, the prime minister said when a decision was taken, it was implemented, but in Pakistan, they lacked such synergy among the federal and provincial governments.
In China, he said, the whole country worked for the wealth creation, he said, adding that all the hurdles in Special Economic Zones (SMEs) would be removed.
During the Beijing Winter Olympics, the Chinse crowd warmly cheered the Pakistani contingent, reflecting how deeply rooted these ties had been between the two countries, he observed.
