BEIJING, China – Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday said that China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) being a part of the BRI has come as a blessing for Pakistan and we would always be supporting the CPEC.
Addressing the participants of a reception of Chinese Cultural Communication Center here, Prime Minister Imran Khan invited Chinese companies to invest in Pakistan.
“Belt and Road Initiative has given us an opportunity to catch up with other nations. CPEC has provided an opportunity for Pakistan to attract investment not just from China, because China is the fastest growing economy in the world now. So obviously China is a main home from where we hope to invite investors,” he said.
Khan said we are looking forward to not just Chinese investment in specifically in Special Economic Zones (SEZs), which are being set up in Pakistan under the CPEC. The PM said he was hoping that in these special economic zones, China would relocate its industry.
“We have been told that the labor in China has gone up because of the high wages as living standard going up. So we would really benefit from relocation of certain industries in Pakistan which would of course help us build our in exports,” the prime minister said.
Expressing his bond with China, Khan said that when Chinese Prime Minister Zhou Enlai came to Pakistan, he along with other students had stood on roads to welcome the Chinese dignitary. He said that this decades-old bond of Pakistan, China friendship reflected the depth of the strong relationship. He said Pakistan would love to learn from China’s experience of industrialization. He said other countries are now looking to invest in Pakistan.
“Pakistanis are happy to watch China progressing and I want to just say on behalf of my country that we will be fully supporting the CPEC. The whole country is behind CPEC. So we are looking forward to Chinese investment and relocation of certain industries, which probably have become costly now in China to achieve economic prosperity,” he mentioned.
“The cooperation between Pakistan and China now has diversified. We are going into agriculture. We’ve asked help from China in agricultural technologies. We’re going into science and technology. We know the Chinese universities have developed internet, artificial intelligence. In various technologies, China is far ahead of most of the countries in the world,” he added.
Prime Minister said what impresses people in Pakistan the most is that China is the country in the history of mankind that in last 30 years has taken over 700 million people out of poverty. “So in Pakistan, this is where we seek help from China. We already collaborated on our poverty alleviation programs,” he added.
“Normally if you have two brothers, one earns when the other doesn’t do. Pakistan is now working to establish stability and peace”.
He said unless there is peace and stability in region, economic prosperity is difficult. And that’s what right now Pakistan government is working on. Khan said Pakistan hopes that political solution in Afghanistan would succeed and Afghanistan would also attain stability.
“Whatever happens in Afghanistan affects the Pakistan’s bordering areas. So we are working for a peaceful region. We have decent relationship with Iran and we are trying to strengthen them. The only problem right now is our relationship with India. But we are hoping that after the Indian elections, we will again hope to have a civilized relationship with India too,” he added.
He expressed gratitude to China for its consistent support over the years towards Pakistan. He said Pakistan really appreciates the way President Xi has invited so many world leaders and his ability to invite heads of states and world leaders to this Belt and Road Forum.
“It shows China is growing strength. The relationship between Pakistan and China has always got stronger. And the reason why this got stronger is because people in Pakistan know that whenever we have difficult times, and they have been difficult times, China has always stood by Pakistan. China has always been there for our most difficult times. And therefore there is this very strong relationship between the people of Pakistan and the people of China,” he concluded.
