CPEC not to be affected by coronavirus, says Chinese scholar

BEIJING: Chinese scholar Prof. Cheng Xizhong said the Chinese government is committed to keep th CPEC's development unaffected, while working hard to combat the novel coronavirus epidemic.

"We do acknowledge Prime Minister Imran Khan's support to China, fighting the epidemic," reports Gwadar Pro App quoting Prof Cheng.The outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic in China has never been seen before in terms of severity. Chinese leaders attach great importance to it and the whole nation is now highly united. Medical workers are fighting in the fore front. Now, the people's war of prevention and control of the epidemic is getting positive results.

The United Nations and various countries around the world are paying close attention to the epidemic in China. They are not just praising the strong measures taken by the Chinese government to fight the epidemic but are also providing assistance to China.

It was noted that Pakistan's government, military and people's attention to the epidemic in China along with their selfless support for China's fight against the epidemic are commendable. It is once again reflecting the special friendly relations between China and Pakistan and the profound friendship between the people of two countries.Prof. Cheng admitted there will be some impact on CPEC. For example, some Chinese technicians of the corridor projects returned home for the traditional Chinese Spring Festival. And as China is controlling population flow to prevent the spread of the epidemic, some of them may not be able to return to Pakistan as scheduled for the time being.

But he believes this is a temporary phase, epidemic will not last for a long time and the difficulties will be solved eventually. Therefore, after a period of time, the construction of the CPEC will continue to advance smoothly as planned.

It is believed that the completion of the second phase projects will bring a huge number of employment opportunities, promote the industrialization and modernization of the nation, and substantially improve the livelihood and well-being of the Pakistani people, Prof. Cheng added.