ISLAMABAD: Pakistan-China friendship is rooted in the people, and the spirit of peace and cooperation demonstrated by the iron-clad bilateral relations provides a stabilizing force in the changing world, Pakistani President Arif Alvi has said.
The two countries always support each other’s efforts to safeguard their respective core interests, and their deepening bond serves as a good example for the world, said the president in a recent interview with Chinese media. “If there are issues, we solve the problems, we help each other in times of crisis.”
Noting that the world is in flux, the president said that many areas are still troubled by conflicts and some Western countries attempt to deter the growth of emerging economies.
The new world order should be a multipolar world, allowing people to progress and allow people to continue with trade, he said, adding that the world order should “not base on the victors’ rules, but base on the fact that it should be an emancipation of people.”
The president said that both Pakistan and China love peace, highlighting the initiatives put forward by China such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that focuses on people’s development so that people can live a stable and healthy life.
“This (BRI) has shown to the world a way of cooperating and a way of mutual developments, whereby movements of goods and people is made easier,” said the president, adding that the initiative benefits international trade and sustainable development.
Regarding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Alvi said that the infrastructure, human resources, energy, and industry sectors in the country are being improved with the help of the CPEC. He also expressed appreciation that the loans from China did not come with strings.
As the construction of the CPEC has now entered a new phase of high-quality development, the president envisioned enhanced cooperation with China in the sectors of information technology (IT), agriculture, vehicle manufacturing, etc.
China’s agricultural yield per hectare is much higher than in many parts of the world, and Pakistan boasts abundant agricultural resources, so “our agriculture cooperation would yield tremendous results,” said the president, noting that China is the frontrunner in areas including Artificial intelligence and supercomputers, and Pakistan wants to be a part of that.
Concluding the interview, Alvi, on behalf of the Pakistani people and government, extended greetings and best wishes to the Chinese people for the upcoming Chinese New Year. “Happy Spring Festival, and an auspicious Year of the Dragon,” he said in Chinese. ( Source Xinhua)
