Debt trap propaganda: Qin, Bilawal dismiss West’s ‘concerns’

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang on Saturday dismissed the West’s concerns over the “so-called debt sustainability and debt trap propaganda” with one voice, as Beijing vowed to look closely and find a solution to Islamabad’s current pressure of financial and foreign exchange pressure.

The foreign ministers of both Pakistan and China were speaking at a news conference after holding the 4th round of the Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue.

The visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister also urged the country’s political forces to build a consensus for upholding political stability to more effectively address domestic and external challenges.

Stability is vital for development, Foreign Minister Gang said. “As Pakistan’s friend, a neighbor and a good partner, we sincerely hope that the political forces in Pakistan will build consensus, uphold stability and in more effectively address domestic and external challenges so that they could focus on growing the economy, improving peoples’ lives and bring the country into a fast-track towards development and rejuvenation,” he hoped.

Given the current financial and foreign exchange pressure Pakistan is facing, he added that China will take a close look into it to find a solution. “We will do our best to help Pakistan address such pressure,” he added.

He added that the economic cooperation between China and Pakistan is for the economic development of people’s lives in Pakistan. “For those who are making accusations about ‘debt traps’, I suggest that you ask those people as to what they have done for the national development and wellbeing of Pakistani people? What kind of investment they have made in Pakistan?...I believe that the Pakistani people do not need anti talks, but they need concrete assistance,” he added.

He further said that China will always work with Pakistan under the CPEC for its development as well as share development strategies for the shared future of the two countries and their people.

To another question about Afghanistan, he said that Pakistan and Afghanistan are neighbours and emphasized that the two sides should resolve their issues through dialogue.

He said that China and Pakistan are also ready to support Afghanistan in its economic reconstruction and hoped that the Taliban would embrace an inclusive governance, moderate policies and maintain friendly ties with its neighbors and consider the security concerns of the neighbors by taking “stronger measures” to counter various terrorist forces within Afghanistan.

He also hoped that the trilateral dialogue would promote friendly ties among the three countries in the spirit of mutual respect, friendship and mutual benefit. “We would help extend CPEC to Afghanistan to promote our exchanges, cooperation in trade, investment, people-to-people contacts among our three countries,” he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023