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Pak assures full security to China economic corridor
BEIJING: Pakistan on Friday assured China of full security to the $46-billion economic corridor that will join the two countries while it passes through Pakistan-Occupied
BEIJING: Pakistan on Friday assured China of full security to the $46-billion economic corridor that will join the two countries while it passes through Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, one of the six main corridors of President Xi Jinping’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, will connect the northwestern Xinjiang province to the Gwadar port.
India has repeatedly voiced its concerns about the CPEC because it passes through PoK.
Lieutenant General Zubair Mahmood Hayat, chief of general staff of the Pakistan army, assured General Fang Fenghui, member of China’s Central Military Commission, that the Pakistani military “resolutely” supports China to push forward the BRI.
The Pakistan army is “willing to provide all support for maintaining the security of the CPEC,” said Hayat, the senior most serving general who is in contention for the post of army chief after General Raheel Sharif retires in November.
According to a report published on an official military website, Fang said China and Pakistan were “iron brothers” with an all-weather partnership.
“Chinese President Xi Jinping has reached important consensus with Pakistani leaders on deepening the pragmatic cooperation between the two countries and building China-Pakistan community of common destiny during their meetings in recent years,” Fang was quoted as saying. He said the two militaries “shall make full use of the quadrilateral cooperation and coordination mechanism (among Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and Tajikistan) to counter terrorism.”
The Chinese side is willing to make joint efforts with the Pakistani side to achieve the two countries’ common development, so as to benefit the peoples of the two countries, Fang said.
The Chinese foreign ministry had told HT the project’s aim was to boost local economy and improve people’s well-being.
