Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Sherry Rehman has said that high level contacts and multi-sectoral cooperation between Pakistan and China are a manifestation of the fact that both sides accord high importance to bilateral relations and desire to further deepen ties for mutual benefit. She expressed these views while talking to Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing Ambassador who called on her at the Parliament House on Saturday.
Senator Sherry Rehman said Pakistan and China had a history of friendship which was built by former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Mao Tes-Tung and both the countries had stood by the side with each other and seen the vicissitudes of time. She said the historic friendship had remained beneficial for both in economic and strategic fields while initiatives like CPEC and BRI had added further impetus to bilateral relations between the two sides.
She said former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, former President Asif Ali Zardari and Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari always placed Pak-China relations in highest regards and consensus exists across party lines on relations with China. Sherry Rehman said it was clear that Asia was rising and that its people needed to be the master of their own destiny by controlling their own resources and harnessing the tremendous economic potential of a connected continent. "China's BRI will connect one ocean to another with its projection of economic power and infrastructure across Euroasia," she said.
She said "We hope that CPEC will generate more jobs at very fast pace, more opportunities for Pakistani youth, and expediting social and economic development."
She appreciated the fact that Chinese envoy was further proactive in consolidating the Pakistan and China friendship.
The Ambassador informed the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate about the projects initiated under CPEC and said that 14 projects under CPEC had able to generate 70,000 employment opportunities for the youth of Pakistan and more projects were in the pipeline which would provide additional opportunities to the youth of the country in terms of jobs.
He said locals were a priority in all the CPEC projects, said a press release.
Leader of Opposition in the Senate, Sherry Rehman termed it a big step in the right direction. "Our youth is highly capable and has the potential contribute towards the socio-economic growth of the country," she added She also expressed her good wishes to the government and people of China and underscored the need for further parliamentary interaction to promote people-to-people contacts.
She said Pakistan-China Friendship group in the Senate would be revived to institutionalize the bilateral relationship.
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