On May 21, 1951, Pakistan and China, which trace their attachment of true friendship back to many centuries, via the ancient Silk Road, established official modern diplomatic relations. Since then the relationship has bloomed into an all-weather cooperative partnership with many projects of inclusive economic development.
The China-Pakistan relationship is a model of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries with different cultures and social systems. China has left no stone unturned to help its true friends in a time of crisis. With the full support of China, Pakistan has emerged as a significant player in regional and international socio-politico and economic discourse.
China engages all countries through its grand visions of cooperation and inclusive economic development. China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the mega flagship China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, and many other potential projects clearly depict President Xi Jinping’s integrating visions.
For Pakistan, CPEC is perceived as the harbinger of a new era of connectivity and integration that will transform not only the region’s economic development but also the well-being of Pakistan’s provinces. CPEC has brought immense opportunities and socioeconomic transformations and this is all made possible due to China’s innovative projects for economic expansion and connectivity in Pakistan.
In this age of evolving geopolitical environment, China has emerged as a leader in extending cooperation and assisting countries in reviving their economies. The economic uplift of many third-world and developing countries demonstrate BRI’s success and China’s efforts.
In this aspect, the visionary Chinese leadership has initiated great projects for development in Baluchistan. In 2015, after the launch of the CPEC, the socio-political stability of Baluchistan became crucial for Pakistan’s leadership and policymakers. Timely implementation of CPEC projects, including the Gwadar deep-sea port and special economic zones, under Chinese assistance has helped overcome the challenges faced by the local population.
To meet the energy demand, a large number of power plants have been installed in different parts of Pakistan. In addition, China has introduced a modern renewable energy matrix system in order to reduce Pakistan’s dependency on conventional methods for energy generation. Special focus has been given to formulate environment-friendly policies and green growth for sustainable economic outcomes.
Baluchistan is a land of breathtaking beauty, mountains, precious minerals/metals, and immense seacoast potential. With Chinese development projects, it is likely to emerge as a global tourist attraction, which would generate huge revenues.
CPEC has also been termed as China-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor as it covers major areas of research and development. In 2017, the CPEC Consortium of Universities was founded at Fudan University under the auspices of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan and the China Association of Higher Education. Every year, many Pakistani as well as Chinese students receive an opportunity for joint academic, cultural, and research activities.
Given all these initiatives, it is clear that the highly prosperous relationship between China and Pakistan is unprecedented. With joint efforts, China and Pakistan will chart new grounds for collective benefits and increasing economic outreach under the CPEC. The bilateral relationship indeed portrays a great model of inter-state harmonious ties.
The author is executive director of the Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future at Communication University of China.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.