Zhao Shiren, Consul General China in Lahore has said that China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is more than a gift that China gave to Pakistan, it must be deemed as a joint venture, a shared undertaking, a common endeavor. The current circumstance requires us to have a sense of urgency and inject new momentum into the CPEC development.
While addressing a key note speech at the conference on “Significance of the Belt and Road Initiative in Regional Connectivity”, Zhao said that Solidarity, stability and security (3s) in the hosting country ensures the timely and quality implementation of CPEC.
A three-day international conference was organized by the Punjab University Regional Integration Centre (RIC) in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy at Al-Raazi Hall.
Zhao said that foreign investment, trade and the expedition of CPEC projects preconditions on social unison, predictable and stable policy, and safe and business-friendly environment.
China develops its brotherly relations with Pakistan not only for the sake of the government, but is more for the people, the country and the nation, he said.
Government and party might change quite often, while people and nation prevail. No matter which political party is in power, we are of the view that the iron-clad relations and CPEC will sustain, he noted.
Government should make policy deliverable based on consensus, while political parties have to put national interests before their partisan ones, he mentioned in the remarks.
He also told that CPEC is more than a gift that China gave to Pakistan, it must be deemed as a joint venture, a shared undertaking, a common endeavor. And the Pakistani people have the (co)-ownership of the projects.
While implementing the Belt&Road Initiative, we Chinese always seek extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits with partners and stakeholders. This principle also applies to the CPEC. Ownership means taking the driver seat, boldness and responsibilities. Zhao said.
We invite Pakistani brothers to converge our development strategies and have close policy dialogues.
We spare no effort to make CPEC more resilient, vibrant and mutually beneficial. After of all, the future of CPEC is ultimately in Pakistanis’ hand, we hereby ask for more initiatives from our Pakistani partners, he elaborated.
He mentioned that we must bring all stakeholders on board and launch a CPEC-related publicity offensive in particular.
In addition to creating a favorable policy, security and business environment, a friendly public opinion is required to cement CPEC growth.
CPEC, like the BRI, has won along its way more and more friends and partners from the region and around the world, it is also met with a handful of opponents and adversaries.
As CPEC is transforming from Phase I to Phase II and renewing pace, some false narratives, negative propaganda and vicious rumors are also on the rise, Zhao addressed.
Misperceptions about CPEC projects’ aims, utilities and scopes are there, misinformation and disinformation are disseminated in social media platforms. Chinese projects and institutions on CPEC were targeted, and some Chinese workers were attacked and brutally killed by terrorists.
In this context, we should make joint efforts to reach out to a wide sector of Pakistani society, launch a CPEC awareness campaign to build up national consensus.
We should invest more on messaging accurate, precise and truthful information about CPEC projects, and further engage media outlets, so as to form positive narratives and depict soft image of CPEC projects and Chinese investment, mitigating fake and fictional news, counteracting the negative propaganda and consolidating the CPEC process.
At the end he said that, China and Pakistan enjoy a long history of friendly relations and brotherhood, which has been uplifted into an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.
