BEIJING, April 23 (INP): Overseas news media, experts and scholars have been excited about Chinese President Xi Jinping’s historically significant two-day visit to Pakistan. Xi’s visit to the South Asian country has been making headlines in major Chinese and Pakistani newspapers.
“The visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pakistan was important both in symbolism and in substance. The visit was a crucial one for the country.”
State-run Chinese news agency termed the visit as highly productive, as it paved the way making huge Chinese investment in Pakistan giving further boost to their partnership in socio-economic sector.
Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, chairperson of Unnayan Onneshan, an independent multidisciplinary think-tank in Bangladesh, said that China’s economic engagement in South Asia has grown at a faster pace in recent years.
“Many opine that China’s proposal of building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road will help for resolving disagreements among regional countries, properly handling contradictions and dissolving the risks,” the expert said.
Madan Regmi, chairman of the China Study Center in Nepal, said that Xi’s visit reflected China’s belief that “until and unless there is economic development, peace and stability is not possible in South Asia.”
Shreedhar Gautam, general secretary of the Nepal Council of World Affairs, said that, in a global context, one of the important messages of Xi’s visit to Pakistan is that “China does not want to exploit its economically poor and politically unstable neighbor for its vested interest, rather it wants prosperity of its neighbors.”
China wants to see the “economic upliftment” of Pakistan as the country is China’s fully trusted friend, Gautam said, adding that China has “special respect and care for its best friend and neighbor.”
In its other report on President Xi’s visit, Xinhua says “Today, China and Pakistan stand at a new starting point and are blessed with favorable conditions of new opportunities, geographical convenience and common resolve to develop traditional friendship.
The agreements signed between two countries will inject fresh and powerful impetus into the deepening of China-Pakistan friendship and comprehensive collaboration.
The two countries have maintained good momentum in developing bilateral ties and their cooperation featuring the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project aimed at boosting connectivity between the two neighbors, has been pragmatic and fruitful.
CPEC, also an important part of the China-proposed Belt and Road initiative, has set up the strategic framework for pragmatic cooperation between the two countries.
Economic cooperation between China and Pakistan works for the integration of their economies. President Xi’s visit helped the two countries develop closer economic ties, allowing both sides to strengthen cooperation in the areas of ports, energy, infrastructure and industry with CPEC at the center.
This year is the China-Pakistan Year of Friendly Exchanges and President Xi’s visit will open a new chapter of friendship between China and Pakistan, giving new life to the all-weather friendship and all-dimensional cooperation between the two countries, the news agency added.