RAWALPINDI (Staff Report) – Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif has reassured China that Pak-Army will ensure a secure environment for the timely completion of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Wednesday.
During a meeting with Zhang Chunxian, member of the Political Bureau of Communist Party of China, at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the matters of mutual interest, regional stability and measures to enhance bilateral defence and security collaboration were discussed.
Zhang Chunxian acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts towards fighting terrorism and appreciated the successes achieved in the ongoing operation Zarb-e-Azb.
Underlining the importance of CPEC, Zhang Chunxian said the CPEC will have highly significant and long term impact on the region and is equally beneficial for people of Pakistan and China.
General Raheel Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to ensure secure environment for timely completion and subsequent management of CPEC in the best interest of prosperous region.
Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a fusion of multiple development projects.
During meeting with Zhang Chunxian in Islamabad, the prime minister said that both countries enjoy close co-operation and hold identical views on important issues at regional and international levels.
“Our friendship is based on shared principles and interests, and forms the foundation of co-operation in diverse fields,” he added.
Last year, China and Pakistan launched a plan for energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan worth $46 billion.
The project is aimed at establishing a China-Pakistan Economic Corridor between Pakistan’s southern Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea and China’s western Xinjiang region.
The corridor, a network of roads, railways and pipelines, would transform Pakistan into a regional hub and give China a shorter and cheaper route for trade with much of Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
