China reiterates support for fresh CPEC investment push

ISLAMABAD: Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong on Monday reiterated Beijing’s commitment to expanding strategic cooperation with Pakistan and advancing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor into what he described as its 2.0 phase, with emphasis on agriculture, industry and mining.

Speaking at a seminar on the Global Governance Initiative and CPEC, Jiang said the corridor had brought more than $25.9 billion in direct investment to Pakistan, created over 260,000 jobs, added more than 8,000 megawatts of electricity generation capacity and contributed significantly to infrastructure development in the country.

The ambassador said China and Pakistan would continue work on major schemes, including the Karakoram Highway Phase-II realignment. He also said the two sides would broaden small-scale welfare projects focused on education and water supply, particularly in Balochistan.

Referring to the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Jiang said China was prepared to work with Pakistan to further deepen their all-weather strategic partnership and build a closer shared future. He also underscored the importance of multilateralism and stronger coordination between Beijing and Islamabad on regional and global matters, saying both countries would continue backing reforms in global governance.