BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- A webinar focusing on new opportunities and challenges of China-Pakistan bilateral cooperation in the post-epidemic era was held on Wednesday, aiming to deepen the friendly bilateral cooperation and make it the best practice of Belt and Road construction.
Upholding the spirit of "Putting People and Life First", "Connectivity", "Openness and Inclusiveness", the webinar attracted government officials, think tank experts and entrepreneurs from both China and Pakistan. They discussed bilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas such as public health, economic development, and digital transformation and upgrading.
The topics of the webinar included promoting construction of the China-Pakistan Health Corridor and building the China-Pakistan community of common health, accelerating the construction of new infrastructure and realizing the digital transformation and upgrading of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), strengthening cooperation between industrial parks, and adding new impetus to bilateral economic and trade exchanges and industrial cooperation.
A joint initiative on promoting international cooperation in COVID-19 prevention and control and high-quality development of CPEC was released on this webinar by Wei Wei, Vice General Manager of Xinhua Silk Road Information Department, China Economic Information Service.
All the participants reached the consensus that the spirit of a community with a shared future for mankind should be adhered to in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
The World Health Organization's leading role in international cooperation should be supported.
Based on the initiative, the principle of broad consultation, common contribution and mutual benefits in constructing the Belt and Road should be adhered to despite the challenges of COVID-19.
All the participants believed the Belt and Road countries' capacities of transnational communicable disease prevention and control, especially the joint emergency response, should be further strengthened. Parties to the Belt and Road should explore a new path for the Belt and Road cooperation in the current situation of the world.
Under the Guidance of Silk Road Think Tank Association, the webinar was co-hosted by China Center for Contemporary World Studies, National Institute of International Strategy of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), "Belt and Road" Initiative International Think Tank of CASS, Sustainable Development Policy Institute, and Research and Development International, and undertaken by Pakistan-China Institute, with Xinhua Silk Road of China Economic Information Service, China Daily, China Economic Net and China.org.cn providing media support. (Edited by Zhang Yuan, Su Dan with Xinhua Silk Road, zhangyuan11@xinhua.org)