BEIJING, Nov 3 (APP): Chinese analysts said the current international situation with great uncertainty and turbulence has brought challenges to all members of the international community, and China, as a major power that is able to contribute more certainty to the world, is further consolidating cooperation with its close partners and neighbours like Pakistan, to make the modernization process of both sides withstand any kind of impact and challenges.
Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times that “Having invited Shehbaz Sharif as one of the first foreign leaders to visit China after the conclusion of the 20th CPC National Congress, not only demonstrates the ever close relationship between the two sides but once again proves that the international community is optimistic about China’s development in the future, and is willing to strengthen ties with China.”
Through the Belt and Road Initiative, China has helped Pakistan in solving two bottleneck problems challenging Pakistan’s economic development – infrastructure and energy supply shortage, Qian said.
The first phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) cooperation, has laid a solid foundation and built a platform for Pakistan’s economic development in the next step, he noted.
Next, the cooperation will enter the second phase of high-quality development, going into sectors including production capacity cooperation, agriculture, and social and livelihood areas among others, analysts said.
“The close and effective strategic coordination between China and Pakistan has set an example of international cooperation and has delivered a clear message to the world, that countries with different social systems, nationalities, civilizations and stages of development can still achieve win-win cooperation,” Qian said.
Lin Minwang, a professor at the Institute of International Studies of Fudan University, told the Global Times that due to the fact that there is a clear advantage for the development of the CPEC – the high-level mutual trust between China and Pakistan, and such kind of trust toward China from Pakistan is a solid consensus shared by all major political parties and forces.
“With Shehbaz Sharif coming to power earlier this year, the China-Pakistan cooperation on the CPEC has focused more on the massive infrastructure projects, and to improve the livelihoods for the locals with more progress on infrastructure construction,” Lin said.
China and Pakistan both have strong confidence and determination to realize the ambitious goal of making the CPEC an exemplar of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.
So, with the continuous efforts in the coming years, the CPEC will show the world how the BRI and the Chinese modernization can benefit others and solve regional problems via development rather than conflicts and wars, analysts said.
In addition, more countries around the globe will be encouraged to join and strengthen cooperation with China under the framework of the BRI, which will bring the current turbulent world back on track of peace and development, they noted.
APP/asg