BEIJING: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is an open and inclusive platform, and both China and Pakistan would welcome all countries and international organisations to participate in the construction of the flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative to achieve common development, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Zhao Lijian said on Monday.
“The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is an open and inclusive platform. China and Pakistan welcome any efforts that support the Belt and Road Initiative and the building of CPEC,” he said during his regular briefing in response to a question.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addressing a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul during his recent visit to Turkiye invited Turkyie to participate in the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project, and said he was willing to discuss the matter with Chinese leadership if Turkiye moved ahead with the idea of joining the flagship project. In his comments, Zhao Lijian termed the CPEC flagship project as an open and inclusive platform and a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative, and both the Chinese and Pakistani sides would welcome countries and international organisations that were ready to join it.
“We hope countries and international organisations are ready to conduct mutually beneficial cooperation and achieve common development,” he added. He remarked that such countries and organizations could join CPEC in appropriate ways to share the dividends of Belt and Road cooperation.
It is worth mentioning that the CPEC, a pilot project of the BRI, was launched in 2013 focusing on cooperation in Gwadar Port, energy, infrastructure and industries. –Agencies
