ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is seeking to broaden its partnership with China by advancing cooperation in finance, port development and the next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), top Pakistani officials said on Monday, signaling Islamabad’s renewed focus on strengthening economic integration with its longtime strategic ally.
Pakistan sees China as its top economic and diplomatic ally, with Beijing making extensive investments in energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan as part of CPEC, a major segment of China’s Belt and Road Initiative that aims to build land and maritime trade routes linking Asia with Africa and Europe.
On Monday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is on a visit to China since Saturday, and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb held key meetings with senior Chinese officials and discussed with them further strengthening bilateral cooperation in the fields of finance, ports and connectivity.
In a meeting with Communist Party Secretary of Tianjin-Binhai New Area, Lian Maojun, Sharif noted the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has played a significant role in developing Pakistan’s energy sector and building infrastructure, according to the Pakistan PM’s office.
