ISLAMABAD: The flagship project of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has advanced and achieved excellent results during the Covid-19 pandemic, said President Arif Alvi in a recent exclusive interview with the China Media Group.
Speaking highly of China’s handling of coronavirus outbreak, the president said it [the pandemic] was largely brought under control within one to two months and the historywould recognize it.
"At the invitation of President Xi, I went to China in March. It was a gesture from Pakistan to recognize that Chinese people have managed to control the coronavirus."
Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 in Pakistan, China has altogether sent seven batches of medical supplies as well as two teams of medical experts to Pakistan to help with the control effort.
"There has been good cooperation between Pakistan and China," the president said. According to President Alvi, the countries willing to learn from China’s experience tend to perform better in terms of fighting the virus.
"Pakistan, for example, was much better off. Our peak exposure to cases went up to 6,800 in June and July, but it went down. It has resurged in the last 10 to 15 days, which is between 3,000 to 3,500. We believe that it will not go high, and that is because of what we learned from China, and that is also because PM Imran Khan insisted on the smart lockdown measures."
As part of the ongoing joint endeavor to combat the disease, vaccine sees another potential area of cooperation between the two countries, according to the president.
"I hope we could find a good vaccine which we will share with the people of the world, not for the commercial venture but as a gesture of goodwill for humanity. I think that approach will come from the leadership of China and Pakistan and the rest of the world," the president struck an optimistic tone.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many achievements have been made under the CPEC. Among them, Matiari to Lahore ±660kV HVDC Transmission Line Project was completed, several green and clean energy projects initiated, and the second phase of the Karakoram Highway Upgrading project opened to traffic.
President Alvi said while the first phase of CPEC has seen improvement in Pakistan’s energy sector, the next phase would focus more on the industrial and the social sector.
An agreement on Rashakai Economic Zone under the CPEC has also been signed in September this year.
"Look at the special economic zone and developing history of China, the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are becoming the backbone of Chinese economic power now," said the president, adding that Pakistan will also improve its special economic zones through spurring the growth of SMEs.
"Pakistan has made a great effort in its social sector for its people. During COVID-19, when people were not going to work, the government started Ehsaas Emergency Cash Project through which funds are distributed up to more than 50% of the population of Pakistan," the President said, stressing that the social sector was also the vision of the CPEC.
"Behind the CPEC, it's not only the infrastructure at all, but it's the politics of understanding that you lift your people out of poverty," he added.
Earlier this year, the Gwadar Port officially started taking transit trade of Afghan goods under the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement.
“It shows the huge potential of Gwadar port with Chinese help and cooperation,” said the president, who also mentioned the Diamer Bhasha Dam. "It is not related to CPEC, but is also a good cooperation between Pakistan and China, which with a total installed capacity of 4,500 MW will offer more than 16,000 jobs to Pakistan."
