BEIJING: A delegation led by Pakistan People Party (PPP) deputy president, Senator Sherry Rehman, on Monday, held a meeting with International Department of Chinese Communist Party (CPC) Central Committee, Vice Minister, Guo Yezhou.
Yezhou welcomed the PPP delegation and remarked, “PPP is an important force in Pakistani politics since it was launched by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto; the party has made a great contribution to the development of China-Pakistan friendship at different historical stages.”
He expressed confidence in further strengthening of his party’s friendship with PPP in the new era.
Senator Sherry Rehman headed a six-member PPP delegation to China on the invitation of CPC. Syed Naveed Qamar, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Senator Rubina Khalid, Faisal Karim Kundi and Sindh Minister for the environment, Taimur Talpur are also included in the commission.
Thanking the vice minister for organising the multi-party constitution, Senator Sherry Rehman asserted, “We are very appreciative of CPC’s efforts and outreach to the people of Pakistan, and are in the frontline of creating and collaborating in the great CPEC venture that is President Xi Jinping’s dream.
“President Zardari’s vision to give Gwadar port to China led to momentum on building a collaborative platform like CPEC,” she added.
She extended warm wishes from PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and recalled that he was the son of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, who had curated the relationship between the two parties as a pillar of policy.
The Senator maintained, “For PPP and Pakistan, a strong relationship with CPC and the Peoples Republic of China is the cornerstone of our policy.”
Rehman said that Pakistan recognised China as its iron brother through good and bad times and pointed towards the important lessons that the country could learn from all that China had done during the last three decades.
“It has, for instance, taken 700 million people out poverty and we would like to achieve similar goals,” she said.
The senator talked of her party’s attempts to build consensus on national goals and commitment to transform Pakistan’s growth and job trajectory. For which, she believed that they strongly stood behind the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
“Eight per cent of our GDP can grow if we are able to consolidate gains from this opportunity. We are looking forward to building consensus and infrastructure that will enable investors and bring some energy initiatives of the Chinese government to Pakistan,” Sherry added.
The PPP leader directed attention towards three important aspects in CPEC: job creation for locals with skill training, sharing knowledge on best practices to green technology and energy projects, and assistance in agriculture growth, energy, infrastructure, the digital economy and generating momentum on job-creation.
“We look forward to an endeavouring and stable relationship and seek to enhance Pakistan-China ties and the PPP-CPC bilateral relationship. We clearly understand the obvious benefits and massive opportunities that CPEC represents for the people of Pakistan,” she concluded.
Senator Sherry Rehman also extended an invitation to Guo Yezhou on behalf of the PPP Chairman and former president. Asif Ali Zardari, to visit Sindh and Pakistan.
