Aerial photo taken on June 22, 2022 shows a view of Karot Hydropower Plant in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province. (CTG/Handout via Xinhua)
ISLAMABAD, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Speaker of Pakistan's National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said Tuesday that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has unfolded substantial opportunities for Pakistan, promising a prosperous and peaceful future for the Pakistani people.
CPEC, a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is linked with the long-lasting economic benefits and sustainable development for the people of Pakistan, the speaker said at the launching ceremony of Sustainable Development Report 2022 of the All-Pakistan Chinese Enterprises' Association.
He said CPEC has played a significant role in promoting the in-depth development of the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and the high-quality development of the BRI, which has grabbed attention in Pakistan and around the world.
"It meets the people's aspirations, wins the people's hearts and benefits the people's livelihoods. With the joint efforts of the two governments, enterprises and all sectors of society, CPEC cooperation has achieved fruitful results and made great contributions to Pakistan's national construction and regional interconnections," Ashraf said.
The speaker emphasized that despite numerous obstacles, Pakistan has witnessed economic development in the region as projects under CPEC made major progress over the past few years.
"CPEC has shown strong resilience against the challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic ... The staff and workers of the two countries working on CPEC projects have worked dedicatedly hand-in-hand to overcome the difficulties and written a new moving story of Pakistan-China friendship," he said.
An Orange Line metro train pulls into the terminal station in Lahore, Pakistan, Dec. 29, 2021. (Photo by Jamil Ahmed/Xinhua)
Ashraf believed that the high-quality development of CPEC would certainly provide significant opportunities for the development of Pakistan and countries along the BRI route, helping them implement the global goals for regional prosperity.
The speaker also reaffirmed the National Assembly of Pakistan and the parliamentarians' role and commitment to ensuring the smooth advancement of projects under the framework of CPEC.
Launched in 2013, CPEC is a corridor linking Pakistan's Gwadar Port with Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which highlights energy, transport and industrial cooperation.
Speaking on the same occasion, Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Aisha Ghaus Pasha said that CPEC projects have unleashed opportunities for socio-economic development for the people of Pakistan.
"CPEC will supplement Pakistan's socio-economic development as the tremendous human capital of the region is its biggest asset. CPEC has resolved issues and helped Pakistan prosper," she added.
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