- Whatever China was doing for Pakistan, the United States could not: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
- Work was progressing fast on the second phase of CPEC: PM
- Pakistan’s request for rescheduling loan is under consideration”.PM
By: Muhammad Arif, Editor NSN.Asia
LAHORE: “Whatever China was doing for Pakistan, the United States could not, and reiterated that relations with Washington should be repaired, but not at the cost of ties with Beijing”, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday while meeting with a group of journalists in Lahore.
A seven-member delegation of journalists returned from an official visit to China undertaken on the invitation of China Public Diplomacy Association.
Highlighting the developments regarding CPEC, PM Shehbaz said that work was progressing fast on the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship development project China’s Belt and Road initiative.
“During the visit of Chinese experts to Pakistan, there was positive movement on the promotion of cooperation in different fields”, PM added, quoted by Dawn.com.
“If China agreed to give Pakistan five to seven years to pay back the loans, the government would be able to bring down inflation, including electricity prices”, said PM while reflecting on his letter written to Chinese authorities in Beijing requesting loan rescheduling.
Loan Rescheduling by China
However, when asked if he had received any response so far, he said: “No… [our request] is under consideration”.
“We hope for a positive response from China in this regard,” he said.
Responding to questions about Pakistan-US relations, the PM was of the view that “Pakistan needed to repair its relations with Washington, as that was in its best interests”.
- Pivot to US vs China
“I think our relations with the US must be repaired, as it is very necessary for Pakistan… But it shouldn’t be at the cost of China… and I had told [the Americans] recently in presence of various dignitaries including Mr Ishaq Dar,” PM Shehbaz explained.
“I also told them that similarly, the friendship with China is not at the cost of US, as both have significance for us,” he clarified.
The PM said he believed that whatever China was helping Pakistan accomplish, the US cannot do.
- Safety of Chinese nationals in Pakistan
He was also very concerned about the safety and security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan, and assured that the government would use all its resources to ensure their well-being.
There is no place for politics of any kind on relations with a close friend like China, he remarked.
- Chinese people’s opinion about the government of Pakistan
The members of the journalists’ delegation informed the Prime Minister about their experiences during their visit to China and their thoughts regarding Pakistan-China relations.
The delegation lauded the efforts and initiatives of Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif for the business and investor friendly policies of the government. The delegation informed the Prime Minister about the Chinese leadership and the Chinese people’s opinion about the government of Pakistan, and said that Chinese investment in Pakistan, especially the current pace of work on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and the completion of projects under the leadership of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
Delegation was of the view that there was an impression of satisfaction on the Pakistan government’s actions regarding Chinese nationals and investment. Chinese officials repeatedly mentioned Shahbaz Speed and praised the Prime Minister’s reform measures as regards the development of CPEC.
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