BEIJING, April 1 (APP): Pakistan is geographically close to and has strong cultural, historical and social ties with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states.
The establishment of SCO Demonstration Area in Qingdao has provided physical space and convenience for in-depth cooperation among SCO countries, and cooperative projects can be planned based on complementary advantages.
June 15, 2021 will mark the 20th anniversary of the founding of SCO. The commemoration of the 20th anniversary was held at the headquarter of SCO Secretariat recently.
In this regard, Wang Zihai, Deputy Director, Pakistan China Center expressed his views in an interview.
Referring the opportunities brought to Pakistan by its accession to the SCO, Wang Zihai underlined that in addition to deepening security cooperation and maintaining regional peace and stability, Pakistan can further strengthen its trade and economic ties with SCO member countries.
SCO can also provide Pakistan with more projects to promote connectivity and opportunities for economic take-off, CEN reported on Thursday.
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project will effectively realize Pakistan’s strategic vision and its early-harvest projects have generally benefited all levels of Pakistani society.
“Future progress of CPEC in connectivity projects, production capacity cooperation and people’s livelihood will benefit all SCO members, including Pakistan.
” Wang Zihai stated, “The construction of Gwadar Port has achieved remarkable results, which has turned the geographical advantages of Pakistan’s sea and land intermodal transport from a vision into a reality, and is expected to be the most significant and qualified trade outlet for Russia and Central Asian countries to enter the Indian Ocean in the future.”
Wang Zihai stressed that under the framework of SCO, Pakistan can make full use of the development dividend released by CPEC and share this mutually beneficial and prosperous transportation and trade channel with other SCO member states.
“The SCO Demonstration Area has studied the profound connotation and inner logic of President Xi Jinping’s important instructions on building the SCO Demonstration Area in Qingdao with the aim of creating a new platform for international cooperation along the ‘Belt and Road’.”
Qingdao is one of the earliest port cities in China to open to the outside world, with a strong atmosphere of international cooperation and excellent pilot genes. In terms of industry, Qingdao is also one of the earliest cities to start industrialization in China with a wide range of industrial layout and numerous leading projects and foreign enterprise projects.
Zihai Wang explained that these integrated advantages have laid the foundation and expanded the space for Pakistan to deepen cooperation with SCO countries and countries along the BRI through SCODA.
He further mentioned that with the construction of the Pakistan China Center, Pakistan can more quickly realize the pattern of “connecting Japan and South Korea in the east, Mongolia and Russia in the north, ASEAN in the south and SCO countries in the west” through SCODA.
