Alveena Ahmad
ISLAMABAD:
Jiang Zaidong, China’s ambassador to Pakistan, stated on Monday that during the busiest time of development, the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit-5 has the potential to directly and indirectly generate 40,000 employment.
Speaking at Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit 5 (C-5)’s first definite date event, the ambassador congratulated the two nations and thanked them for their sustained support of useful collaboration.
According to him, China’s advantages in technology, cash, and market expertise can be paired with Pakistan’s distinct advantages in geography, language, and people resources to jointly explore third-party markets.
“Despite the generally weak economic climate, we are happy to see that, according to the State Bank of Pakistan’s most recent statistics, China’s direct investment in Pakistan accounted for 41% of all investment in Pakistan over the last five months, demonstrating the potential and vitality of market-driven cooperation.”
He said that despite a challenging global climate, China-Pakistan relations—particularly their practical cooperation—have improved over the past 12 months.
In order to promote an improved version of CPEC, “We are prepared to continue working with Pakistan, to adhere to high-quality development, to combine quantitative growth with qualitative improvement, to advance both major signature projects and small but beautiful public welfare projects in a coordinated manner, and to consolidate cooperation in traditional areas and steadily expand cooperation in emerging areas.”
According to him, China will keep working with Pakistan to write a new chapter in practical cooperation, to speed up the creation of a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, and to consistently enhance the vibrant practice of excellent Belt and Road cooperation and the advancement of creating a community with a shared future for all people. He emphasized the necessity of concerted efforts to support the growth and fortification of non-CPEC initiatives. “China-Pakistan relations are all-weather, so our practical cooperation is naturally all-round.”
He said that Khunjerab-Sost Pass, the highest height in the world, has achieved year-round functionality.
The Suki Kinari Hydropower Station has been put into commercial service after a nearly $2 billion investment. The diplomat said, “These are just an epitome of the achievements of China-Pakistan practical cooperation, but they are good enough to reflect the tenacity and certainty of China-Pakistan cooperation.”
“As the key is to make full use of Pakistan’s industrial advantages, we need to closely focus on an upgraded version of CPEC and take more specific and practical measures to adhere to common development and build a growth corridor,” he said.
The diplomat continued, “We hope and believe that Pakistan will attach importance to maintaining and expanding this good momentum and provide a better business for Chinese companies.” “Effective power and mining cooperation practices demonstrate that non-CPEC projects have good benefits, great potential, and broad prospects,” he said.
In order to jointly deepen the hard connectivity of infrastructure, the soft connectivity of standards, and the heart connectivity between the people of the two countries, he expressed optimism that these projects could undoubtedly grow in size and strength and be developed in a coordinated manner with CPEC projects. The ambassador went on to say that in addition to the significant economic benefits, these initiatives have produced a big number of jobs and positive social effects.
