Chinese envoy terms Punjab CM’s address in Beijing unprecedented

Echo of Shahbaz speech

SAHIWAL/LAHORE: The echo of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s address to business conference under the Punjab government during his visit to China is still being heard.

The Chinese leaders and officials have already given unprecedented popularity to this address regarding the Belt and Road initiative. Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong, in his speech during inaugural ceremony of 1,320-MW Sahiwal Coal Power Project, especially referred to the chief minister’s speech delivered in China and described it very important and extraordinary.

It may be mentioned that the chief minister, in his address during his visit to China while reviewing China’s Belt and Road policy in historic background, had said that the programme was aimed at welfare of humanity as well as elimination of poverty, joblessness and backwardness, contrary to colonial schemes coming fore at global level in the past.

He said China, contrary to other friends, neither receives price for its cooperation nor demands “do more”. In his address on Thursday, the Chinese ambassador congratulated the Pakistani people and the government over inauguration of the coal-fired power plant six months before its completion time.

He said Chinese company had provided employment to 3,000 local people, discharging its social responsibility, and shared skills to the Pakistani engineers besides sending 200 of them to China for training.

The ambassador also thanked the Pakistan government and the nation for providing great protection to Chinese engineers and people working in Pakistan. He said that One Belt, One Road initiative by China was being appreciated globally and hoped that it would impact positively the socioeconomic situation of the region.