by Mariam Raheem

 

Pakistani and Chinese scholars lauded the role of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in fighting against pandemic and diversifying Pakistan’s economy on a webinar titled "Evaluation of China's Belt-Road Project from different perspectives" Thursday.

 

Prof Tang Zhichao, Director of Middle East Studies, Chinese Academy of Sciences said at the occasion that although the epidemic has affected the construction of BRI, it has played a key role in fighting the epidemic, stabilizing the economy, restoring work and production, improving people's livelihood, and ensuring the global supply chain. “BRI has exerted an enormous function on the supply and transportation of medical materials, sharing anti-epidemic knowledge, providing anti-epidemic assistance, and cooperating in the development of vaccines.”

 

During the 14th five-year Plan period, China will persist in opening up to the outside world on a greater scale, in a wider fields and at deeper levels. One extremely important task of China’s opening up is to promote BRI high quality development. “In order to achieve this goal, we need to followthe principle of wide consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, uphold the concept of green, open, and clean, deepen practical cooperation, strengthen security, and deepen cooperation in public health, digital economy, green development, science and technology, and education to promote common development.” Tang added.

 

Mustafa Hyder Sayed, Executive Director at Pakistan China Institute stated that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a landmark project under BRI which is of great significance to Pakistan, and Pakistan is proud to join hands with China to advance this transformative initiative. CPEC has been diversifying Pakistan’s economy and many long-term opportunities for Pakistan going forward as part of a vital part of BRI. He stressed that energy and infrastructure construction under CPEC have greatly accelerated the pace of Pakistan's economic development and would bring more economic vitality and greater development opportunities to the region in the future.

 

 “BRI countries should understand what they can gain from this great project of win-win cooperation, and learn to interact with China with five thousand years of civilization. A responsibility of individuals and organizations to make sure this project in a equitable, sustainable and transparent manner.” Mustafa underlined, “approach of containing China will have very severe repercussions for the rest of the world instability, so we need to move forward, embrace building bridges and stop building walls.”