By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Saturday made it clear that further progress in multibillion-dollar projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was contingent upon internal political and security stability in Pakistan.
“China sincerely hopes Pakistan political forces can get together and overcome issues of political stability so that they can grow on the economic front together with us,” Gang told a joint press conference with his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Islamabad.
“We sincerely believe that the political forces in Pakistan will build consensus, uphold stability and more effectively address domestic and external challenges so that it could focus on growing the economy, and improving people’s lives,” the Chinese minister said after the 5th Trilateral Foreign Ministers Dialogue, also participated by Pakistan Afghan counterparts. The trilateral dialogue was followed by the 4th round of Sino-Pak strategic dialogue.
Pakistan’s political and judicial crisis began in January when former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf party and its allies dissolved the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to force the government to call early elections across the country.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition government, however, maintained that it would only agree to elections being held simultaneously across the country.
The constitution requires elections to be held within 90 days of the dissolution of an assembly or after it finishes its tenure and ceases to exist, but historically, the country has held voting for provincial and national assemblies on the same day.
The dissolution of the two provincial parliaments triggered a constitutional crisis in the country, which is already facing political and economic instability.
Gang emphasized stability as the premise of development which is in turn rooted in security and reiterated Chinese firm support for Pakistan’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity as well as its unity, stability, and economic prosperity.
China’s Foreign Minister praised Pakistan’s significant sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and expressed his firm belief in Islamabad’s ultimate victory in counter-terrorism operations.
The visiting dignitary stated that both sides had agreed to hold the perpetrators of terrorism against Chinese workers in Pakistan accountable and to deepen their security cooperation. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the progress made on projects under the CPEC.
Qin said both sides expressed satisfaction with the progress made on projects under the CPEC.
“We also agreed to expedite major projects, including ML-1 and the Gwadar port,” he added.
He said the leadership in China encourages Chinese companies to invest in Pakistan and welcomes high-quality products from Pakistan into China.
Given the financial constraints of Pakistan, the Chinese foreign minister said that the current financial and foreign exchange pressure on Islamabad will prompt Beijing to take a close look at possible solutions and will do its best to help Pakistan address such pressure.
“I want to reiterate that financial cooperation between China and Pakistan is for the economic development and the betterment of people’s lives in Pakistan. For those, who are making such false accusations about debt traps, I suggest that you ask those people what they have done for the national development and well-being of the Pakistani people and what kind of investment they have made in Pakistan”, the minister said without naming the US which has been critical of CPEC.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari praised China’s “principled and just stance” on the issue of India-held Kashmir and hailed Beijing’s support for Islamabad.
He emphasized that peace and stability in Afghanistan were vital for the socio-economic development, connectivity, and prosperity of the region.
Pakistan and China have assured Afghanistan of their cooperation to help the conflict-torn country towards stability.
The meeting between the three countries highlights the importance of regional cooperation in ensuring stability and development in the region. The talks are expected to pave the way for closer cooperation between the three countries in the coming months, which could help Afghanistan in its journey toward stability and development.
Chinese minister expressed China’s readiness to support Afghanistan in its economic reconstruction and expressed the hope that the interim Afghan government would embrace inclusive governance and moderate policies while maintaining friendly relations with its neighbors. He also urged the international community to take concrete actions to help the Afghan people and alleviate their suffering.
The trilateral talks between Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan come at a crucial time as Afghanistan is grappling with an uncertain future after the Taliban took control of the country. The international community, including China and Pakistan, has been closely monitoring the situation in Afghanistan and has urged the Taliban to form an inclusive government that represents all sections of Afghan society.
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