A day-long think-tank dialogue was held in Islamabad on Thursday in which officials and representatives of Pakistani and Chinese think-tanks working on Pak-China relations discussed scope and future prospects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
At the dialogue, the participants agreed that CPEC, a pilot project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has given a new dimension to bilateral friendship and opened up a new phase in the pursuit of national prosperity.
Speaking at the event, Cai Fang, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that China and Pakistan are not only good neighbors, but also trusted partners.
Cai said that CPEC is the best reflection of the ancient Silk Road, based on inclusiveness and mutual success.
He emphasized on international cooperation to further implement the BRI, and to pursue policy research in the mega project of intra-regional and inter-regional connectivity.
Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing confirmed that early harvest projects of CPEC are near completion, adding that under the new Pakistani leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, China and Pakistan are committed to completing the other projects as well.
Speakers also said that CPEC is not only restricted between Pakistan and China, but it can also serve as a platform to connect other regional countries.
Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, a Pakistani lawmaker and chairman of Islamabad-based think-tank, the Pakistan China Institute, said that the idea given by China through BRI is about connectivity and win-win cooperation.
The speakers also agreed that Asia has been witnessing not only unprecedented economic growth in the past few decades, but also has become the center of the call for connectivity and globalization. In this backdrop, the BRI stands tall as a program that is bringing people and countries closer.
