ISLAMABAD, June 29 (APP):Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Sherry Rehman observed that high level
contacts and multi-sectoral cooperation between Pakistan and China are a manifestation of the fact
that both sides accord high importance to bilateral relations and desire to further deepen ties for
mutual benefit.
She expressed these views while talking to Acting Chinese Ambassador Zhao Lijian who called
on her at the Parliament House on Friday.
Senator Sherry Rehman said that Pakistan and China have a history of friendship which was built
by Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Mao Tse-tung and both the countries have stood by the side with each other and seen the vicissitudes of time, said a press release here.
She said that this historic friendship has remained beneficial for both in economic and strategic fields while initiatives like China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) have added further impetus to bilateral relations between the two sides.
She said that the former Prime Minister Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, former President Asif
Ali Zardari and Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari always placed Pak-China relations in highest regards and consensus exists across party lines in relations with China.
Sherry Rehman said that we hope that CPEC will generate more jobs at very fast pace, more opportunities for Pakistani youth and expediting social and economic development.
She appreciated the fact that Chinese envoy was further proactive in consolidating the Pakistan and China friendship.
The Ambassador informed the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate about the projects initiated under CPEC and said that fourteen projects under CPEC have able to generate 70,000 employment opportunities for the youth of Pakistan and more projects are in the pipeline which would further
provide opportunities to the youth of the country in terms of jobs.
He said that locals are a priority in all the CPEC projects. He also appreciated the fact that PPP
was instrumental in bringing CPEC to Pakistan with President Zardari and Chinese President Xi
Jingping signing agreements.
Senator Sherry Rehman also expressed her good wishes to the government and people of China and underscored the need for more parliamentary interaction to promote people to people contacts.