ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday said that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the economic future of Pakistan and there will be no compromise on its security.
“Ambassador appreciated conduct of successful visit of Chinese foreign minister and support for CPEC in Pakistan,” the military’s media wing said.
According to a statement of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Gen Bajwa gave the assurance during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing during which matters of mutual interests and regional security were discussed.
The development comes a day after a report in the London-based Financial Times newspaper that quoted some cabinet ministers as saying that Islamabad is considering renegotiating some agreements signed with Beijing under the multi-billion dollar One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative. Both countries had reacted angrily to the report.
“The Pakistan-China relationship is unbreakable, and the Pakistani government’s commitment to the CPEC remains unwavering,” he added.
As far as he knows, the spokesperson added, the Pakistani side has set up a nine-member committee to evaluate the CPEC project.
The committee has been constituted by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan to evaluate CPEC – the most ambitious part of BRI. The $62 billion-initiative includes a grand revamp of Gwadar, road rail links and power plants worth US$30 billion.
The purpose is to strengthen the docking with the Chinese side, speed up the construction of the corridor, and make the construction results better benefit the ordinary people of Pakistan, rather than delaying the construction of the corridor.
“It is beyond doubt that the CPEC is a major economic cooperation project carried out in response to the needs of the Pakistani side. The construction of the economic corridor has a good driving effect on the economic and social development of Pakistan,” he added.
