Liu Jianchao, minister of the Foreign Relations Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at the third meeting of the Pakistan-China Joint Consultative Mechanism, which was attended by representatives of Pakistan’s major political parties.
“Security threats are the biggest threat to CPEC cooperation. As they say, trust is more precious than gold. In Pakistan’s case, the security situation is the main factor shaking the confidence of Chinese investors,” he said, reported Dawn.
The Joint Consultative Mechanism (JCM) Forum, launched in 2019, held its first face-to-face meeting in five years. The JCM Forum also held a virtual session in August 2020.
Terrorists have targeted Chinese projects in Pakistan in recent years, including CPEC, with two attacks in March highlighting the threat.
The Baloch Liberation Army, a group banned in Pakistan, attempted to enter the Gwadar Port Authority compound but the attack was thwarted, Dawn reported. Additionally, a suicide bomber attacked a convoy of Chinese engineers in the Shanla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing five engineers and a local driver.
These incidents are part of a series of targeted violent incidents aimed at disrupting CPEC. The threats have had a significant impact on the continuity of the project and have contributed to the slowdown in CPEC progress in recent years.
Chinese officials praised Pakistani law enforcement agencies for their recent successes in counter-terrorism efforts, stressing that these efforts are helping mitigate the threat posed by terrorist groups that have “severely disrupted” the security environment and targeted China’s interests.
Liu Jianchao called for improving the business environment in Pakistan, which has difficulty attracting Chinese investment due to its unstable financial situation and a history of unfulfilled promises to Chinese companies in the power sector.
The reluctance of Chinese investors, compounded by the reluctance of Chinese-influenced company Sinosure to invest in new projects, has significantly delayed the start of these efforts.Furthermore, the development of special economic zones, a key component of CPEC, remains stalled.
Liu called for forming a united political front to gain broad public consensus and support for CPEC, and stressed the importance of tackling misinformation campaigns.
“We have to take this seriously and create a friendly media environment for CPEC,” he said. Stressing the need for stability in Pakistan, he said, “sustainable development is possible only when all the political parties in the country work together to ensure political and social stability.”
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in his speech expressed Pakistan’s determination to advance and enhance the second phase of CPEC.
Highlighting the presence of senior representatives of major Pakistani political parties at the meeting, Dar said it underscored the strong political consensus on CPEC. He said Pakistan-China relations were crucial for regional peace and development.
Pakistan’s Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani stressed the need to prioritise inclusive and sustainable growth and ensure that no region is left behind, Dawn reported.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Zafar expressed concern over the slow progress of CPEC and called for speeding up the development of the project. He later met Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir in Rawalpindi.
Earlier in March, Balochistan Human Rights Council Information Secretary Khurshid Ahmed highlighted the negative impact of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.
Amid increasing violent attacks against Chinese projects in Balochistan, Khurshid said why these projects are facing backlash in Balochistan.
“The repeated attacks by the oppressed locals on Sino-Pakistani projects underscore their contention that the so-called development projects initiated by the oppressors primarily serve their own interests and hardly benefit the oppressed people,” Khurshid said. (ANI)
This report has been auto-generated from ANI news service and ThePrint does not assume any responsibility for its content.
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