Chinese modernization serves as model for Pakistan to promote economic development: Pakistani PM

ISLAMABAD -- The unique Chinese modernization serves as a model for Pakistan to promote economic development, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said, extending congratulations on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

China has made remarkable achievements, and Pakistan desired to revamp its economy by emulating China's path of progress, which offers new opportunities for countries around the world, including Pakistan, Sharif said in an interview with Chinese media.

China believed in inclusiveness and multilateralism, a recipe for enhanced peaceful global interaction, bringing more understanding between various nations with enhanced economic cooperation, trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges, the prime minister said.

He said that 14 Palestinian factions have lately held a reconciliation dialogue in Beijing under the mediation of China, a testimony to China's positive role in promoting regional and world peace and development.

Speaking highly of Pakistan-China time-tested friendship, Sharif said that the friendship, based on mutual trust and respect, is exemplary in the world.

The two countries have always supported each other and have worked closely on the international stage to jointly strengthen the forces that promote regional and world peace as well as stability, he said.

Talking about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, the prime minister said that the project promotes socio-economic development of Pakistan.

Launched in 2013, the CPEC is a corridor linking the Gwadar Port in southwest Pakistan's Balochistan province with Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which highlights energy, transport, and industrial cooperation in the first phase.

Issues of road connectivity and electricity that greatly hindered Pakistan's economy in the past were resolved in the first phase, Sharif said, noting the CPEC has successfully entered a new phase of high-quality development, which focuses more on strengthening cooperation with China in such fields as agriculture, information technology and mining.

The prime minister underscored that Pakistan and China would continue to work together to further enhance economic cooperation and lift their unshakable and unique friendship to new heights.