China and Pakistan renew belt and road pledges in aftermath of Balochistan attacks
- Xi Jinping and Imran Khan meet on the sidelines of the Winter Olympics, vowing to forge on with the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
- Khan’s high-profile trip signals long-standing political trust between the two countries, analyst says
“[Beijing] is willing to work with the Pakistani side to align development strategies, promote the in-depth development of the CPEC, ensure the smooth implementation of major projects, and expand the fields of science and technology, agriculture, social and people’s livelihood,” the Chinese foreign ministry quoted Xi as saying.
National broadcaster Radio Pakistan said Khan welcomed increased Chinese investment and “lauded China’s continued support and assistance to Pakistan’s socioeconomic development which had greatly benefited from the high-quality development of the CPEC”.
Khan and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also signed an agreement to start the second phase of the CPEC on Saturday.
Launched in 2013, the CPEC is a massive component of the Belt and Road Initiative – Xi’s pet project to boost trade and infrastructure links across Asia and beyond.