ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of China to Pakistan Yao Jing has urged the Pakistani nation to support the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project for progress and economic stability of the country, saying any doubts about it are baseless.
Speaking at the CPEC Career Summit 2018 at the Islamabad Air University, he said, “The new Pakistani government keeps a vision for the future and the Chinese government and leadership believe that the incumbent government can develop Pakistan.”
The Chinese ambassador said, “China believes that Pakistanis are hardworking and peace-loving people and that Pakistan has a brighter future under the current leadership.”
Jing praised Prime Minister Imran Khan for being a visionary, saying PM Imran told in a speech at an institution in China that he was a sportsman and used to take risks against the opposite team’s players. “Imran Khan is serious regarding the future of the youth. Innovation is important for the future,” said Jing. “CPEC is a window of development. Through it, people of China and the region can be contacted.”
He said as Pakistan had geographical importance, a strong Pakistan would prove beneficial for the whole region.
The Chinese ambassador said that his country had always worked towards strengthening bilateral relations with Pakistan.
“CPEC is the best project for expanding economies of both the countries,” he said. “The project lays special emphasis on improving agriculture, human resource development and standard of education in Pakistan.
“Due to CPEC, job opportunities have been created in Pakistan as up till now, jobs have been provided to 70,000 people.”
He said that China was bringing its trained labour into Pakistan and at present 10,000 Chinese labourers were working on CPEC projects.
“Most of the jobs opportunities will be provided in local districts of Pakistan and efforts will be made to ensure that minorities also come forward,” said the ambassador.
He said job positions in different sectors in Pakistan would be created for the youth. “CPEC is an important project of the bilateral relations between China and Pakistan,” he said. “Many CPEC projects have been completed while work is going on the remaining ones.”
He highlighted that during the visit of PM Imran to China talks were held on the economic zone and said a final decision would be taken during the JCC meeting next month.
He said the path for other countries to invest in CPEC was open. “We want Pakistan to be economically dependent,” he said, hoping that the new government would pull the country out of poverty and put it on the path of progress and prosperity.
On the occasion, Parliamentary Secretary for Planning and Development Kanwal Shauzab said, “CPEC is a project of Pakistan’s progress and prosperity through which it will become a world trade hub.”
The secretary said, “PM Imran’s visit (to China) has expanded the scope of the project.”
Senator Noman Wazir Khattak said, “No doubt CPEC is a path to progress but China has given us loan for the project. The concern is that how we will return the loan. If we cannot return the loan what will happen.”
Khattak stressed the need to work hard on technical education. “We have engineers, who are not practical,” he said, urging the government to table a bill for imparting practical training to the engineers during vacations.
