Pak, China welcome any 3rd nation joining CPEC for beneficial cooperation

Pakistan and China on Friday decided to welcome any third country joining the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor for mutual beneficial cooperation

China Pakistan
China Pakistan
Press Trust of India Islamabad
2 min read Last Updated : Jul 23 2022 | 6:49 AM IST

Pakistan and China on Friday decided to welcome any third country joining the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor for mutual beneficial cooperation.

The 3rd meeting of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Joint Working Group (JWG) on International Cooperation and Coordination (JWG-ICC) was held in virtual mode and was co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood and China's Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao, according to a statement by the Foreign Office. During the meeting, both sides reviewed continued implementation of CPEC and its expansion to jointly agreed priority areas.

It was noted that as a flagship of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), CPEC had broken new ground in strengthening international and regional connectivity, especially in the context of its extension to Afghanistan.

As an open and inclusive platform, both sides welcomed interested third parties to benefit from avenues for mutually beneficial cooperation opened up by CPEC, according to FO.

It was also agreed that CPEC's development had reached a new point, with increasing emphasis on high-quality development of industry, agriculture, IT, and science and technology, while ensuring tangible socio-economic benefits for the people.

Foreign Secretary Mahmood underscored the centrality of the time-tested Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership in Pakistan's foreign policy.

He added that, manifesting the historic choice of both countries and peoples, the vitality and dynamism of CPEC reflected the deep-seated mutual goodwill that lay at the heart of the bilateral relationship.

The timely completion of CPEC projects and steady progress on realising important projects in the pipeline was energising bilateral cooperation and further strengthening the foundation for Pakistan's economic modernisation and enhancing the capacity for sustained progress and prosperity, he said

CPEC was launched in 2015 with the objective to increase connectivity in Pakistan and China by building roads, energy projects and industrial zones in Pakistan.

Originally valued at USD 46 billion, the projects were worth USD 62 billion as of 2017.

India has protested to China over the CPEC as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Quarterly Starter

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

Save 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online

  • Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

Topics :Pakistan ChinaChina-PakistanCPEC

First Published: Jul 23 2022 | 6:49 AM IST

Next Story