Security and defence: Pakistan, China to deepen cooperation

BEIJING: China and Pakistan will deepen security and defence cooperation and work to crack down on terrorism, Chinese state agency Xinhua reported on Thursday, citing a joint action plan agreed by the two countries. The plan came as Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited China and held meetings with Chinese leaders including President Xi Jinping in Beijing.—Reuters

APP adds: Pakistan and China inked bilateral accords worth USD8.5 billion in various sectors, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif terming the development as a “long march of economic growth”.

The Chinese and Pakistani companies have signed USD7 billion Memoranda of Understanding and $1.54 billion Joint Ventures (totalling USD8.5 billion) in sectors including agriculture, electric vehicles, solar energy, health, chemical and petrochemicals, irons and steel besides others, at the Second Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference held in Beijing.

In his keynote address on the occasion, PM Shehbaz Sharif said the “long march” would lead to growth of enormous opportunities of investment and job creation.

The prime minister unveiled a new vision for Pakistan-China economic cooperation, announcing the formal launch of “CPEC 2.0” which will attract investment into diverse sectors.

Welcoming the high-level delegates, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the forum as a reflection of the iron-clad brotherhood between Pakistan and China.

Addressing concerns about bureaucratic delays, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assured the Chinese investors to remove all red tape hiccups in investments. He issued a clear and direct message: “We will not tolerate a second’s delay. I recently ensured that a Chinese entrepreneur was facilitated within 24 hours. That’s the level of commitment I am talking about.”

He reassured the Chinese delegation of Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to investor facilitation, stating that Chinese investors will be treated as partners and that “Pakistan is your second home, just as China is ours.”

Security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan, he said was a top priority, adding “the safety of Chinese citizens is paramount.”

“This is one of the largest business conferences I have attended during my visit to this great country. Our relationship with China is unmatched, higher than the Himalayas, deeper than the deepest oceans, sweeter than honey and stronger than steel,” said the prime minister.

“We were facing up to 20 hours of power outages daily. Today, thanks to President Xi’s dynamic and visionary leadership, Pakistan became energy self-sufficient. That was the turning point,” he noted.

PM Shehbaz Sharif announced the launch of CPEC 2.0, which will shift focus toward business-to-business (B2B) investments in agriculture, IT and AI, minerals, and industrial relocation.

He emphasized the role of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in attracting investment, offering competitive advantages such as cheaper skilled labor and joint ventures to produce high-quality export goods.

In an emotionally charged segment of his speech, Prime Minister Shehbaz recounted his first visit to China in 1982.

In his closing remarks, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated his determination to transform Pakistan’s economic landscape. “We know the path is difficult, but not impossible. With China’s support and our commitment, we will make Pakistan a strong and vibrant economy. Let today mark the beginning of that journey.”

Pakistan and China, expressing satisfaction over the positive trajectory of their relations, agreed to continue working closely on the next phase of upgraded China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC 2.0), with its five new corridors.

The bilateral ties and cooperation were discussed in a meeting between Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Qiang here.

During their “warm and friendly” meeting, the prime minister expressed his deepest gratitude to the Chinese leadership and nation for their unflinching support to Pakistan’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and socio-economic development.

Paying rich tribute to China’s impressive transformation under President Xi Jinping’s visionary leadership, the prime minister stated that Pakistan wanted to emulate China’s successes and build a stronger and closer Pakistan-China community with a shared future.

He noted that his government’s tireless reform efforts were yielding promising results, made possible through China’s strong support.