Pakistan backs China to preserve world order, ensure peace: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday said the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) achievements of all-round national development, poverty alleviation, anti-corruption campaign and nation-building were truly remarkable and hoped to emulate in Pakistan.

“It is something we hope to emulate in Pakistan,” he said while addressing the CPC and World Political Parties Summit: for the People’s Well-being; the responsibility of Political Parties. Imran said, “On behalf of the government and the people of Pakistan, I would like to convey our heartfelt felicitations to His Excellency President Xi Jinping and the Chinese people on the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China. I am confident that our discourse in this Summit would shed a new light on the role of political parties in advancing the well-being of people”.

He said the founding of the CPC in 1921 was a seminal event in the world history and the vision of the CPC leadership ignited the spirit of the Chinese nation and encouraged them to wage an epic struggle for liberation from foreign occupation.

The prime minister noted that Chairman Mao Zedong and subsequently Deng Xiaoping guided the Chinese people in reclaiming national dignity, self-pride, self-respect and China’s rightful place in the world and for decades, the CPC’s spirit instilled a new vigor and hope beyond China’s borders. It inspired peoples of colonized nations and contributed to the end of colonialism. “CPC’s astonishing success rests in the people-centric approach of its inclusive development philosophy. It remained committed to serving the people and prioritizing their well-being and interests,” he noted.

CPC’s achievements, he pointed out, had opened new vistas of thought for political parties across the world, while CPC had proven that attainment of political power was primarily meant for bringing transformation in the lives of people and making them masters of their own destiny.

Imran said, “Indeed political parties can only enjoy public support and legitimacy if they continue to serve the people selflessly. President Xi’s visionary leadership has played a pivotal role in China’s transformation and continued rise. His people-centric philosophy has made a critical difference, as China has eliminated extreme poverty, one of the greatest achievements in the history of mankind, and achieved CPC's goal of building a ‘moderately prosperous society”.

“Pakistan supports China’s efforts to safeguard world peace, contribute to global development, and preserve international order. President Xi’s vision of shared prosperity, through BRI, has made a major impact on global sustainable development, thus proving his credentials as a world statesman.

Under President Xi’s stewardship, China has achieved major success in the ‘people’s war’ against the COVID-19 pandemic,” he contended. “President Xi’s declaration of making the COVID-19 vaccines a global public good is reflective of his compassion and fairness. CPC’s mission of ‘Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese nation’ and PTI’s vision of ‘Naya Pakistan’ reflect the respective aspirations of the people of our two countries,” he maintained.

Imran explained, “I formed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf 25 years ago on the principles of accountability, transparency, meritocracy and Islamic welfare to break the vicious cycle of elite capture, corruption and nepotism.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf remains committed to its original mission of establishing rule of law and setting up a society that is humane and compassionate”. “Today, the Ehsaas Program launched by the PTI government last year is one of the leading social protection programmes in Asia. In its second phase, we envisage to provide social protection to 8 million of our poorest citizens. We have made Universal Health Coverage a priority in our health sector reforms. Under the ‘Ehsaas Sahulat’ program we aim to provide free of cost health insurance initially to the families living below the poverty line, and subsequently to families that are in the provinces governed by PTI,” he noted.

“Our 10 Billion Tree Tsunami project reflects our commitment to countering environmental degradation and reversing biodiversity loss. We are ready to contribute more than our share to protect this invaluable planet and help it heal from centuries of neglect. In the wake of emerging global and regional environment, Pakistan has recalibrated its priorities from geo-politics to geo-economics.”

“China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the flagship project of BRI, complements Pakistan’s renewed efforts of this geo-economic shift with emphasis on economic integration and regional connectivity. Moreover, in line with my government’s Green Vision, which aligns perfectly with President Xi’s vision for green China, turning CPEC into green CPEC is a priority for Pakistan,” he said.

Prime Minister emphasized, “Our abiding friendship with China and the CPEC complement this vision of peace for ourselves and for others, and shared prosperity and common development for our region and the world. Pakistan and China are ‘iron brothers’. We support each other on issues of our respective core interests”.

“In an era of complex and profound changes at global and regional level, our ‘All Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership’ remains a strong anchor for peace, progress and prosperity. This year also marks the 70th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China. Our two nations are celebrating this historic milestone in a befitting manner. I am confident that the year 2021 would provide new vigor and vitality to our time-tested friendship. We must join hands to advance the noble cause of peace and development, welfare of our peoples, and building ‘Community of Shared Future for All Mankind,” he said.

Meanwhile, speaking at the summit, PMLN President and National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif said China's peaceful rise as the world’s second largest economy and a paramount global power owed itself to the vision and dedication of CPC.

He said the CPC had indeed led from the front in promoting the cause of wellbeing of the Chinese people as well as the international community. “The CPC and China are two sides of the same coin and it was nearly impossible to distinguish between the both,” he said.

Shehbaz said two elements had made China great, the endless energy, creativity and hard work of the people and the generations of leadership provided by the CPC. He said it was only a few decades ago that the CPC started the journey of taking China to the world and today the world comes knocking at its door.

“Achieving excellent economic growth rates for over 3 decades and lifting over 800 million out of acute poverty testifies to the public welfare model pursued by the CPC. The 21st century today is being hailed as the Asian Century. The epic transformation is being shaped by people-led, people-owned and people-centered concept of development and welfare,” he stated.

Addressing the summit, Chairman Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said China was leading the way for global cooperation instead of global conflict. “This is the only way for my generation to be part of a future with perpetual peace and break with the past habits of perpetual conflict,” he said.

Bilawal reiterated that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor went beyond partisan politics. “For us and that we are all united around one fundamental truth in a world defined by unexpected conflicts and challenges, the CPEC is the economic stabilizer that can steer Pakistan into the 21st century,” he continued.

He said China under the CPC has also become a global leader in the COVID-19 vaccination distribution effort, and on behalf of Pakistan he would like to thank the CPC for donating vaccines to his country, especially during these testing times when Pakistan faced another COVID-19 wave.

He said that only reinforced the reality that China had always sided with Pakistan in difficult times. He said warmest wishes and congratulations to the people of China President Xi and the CPC for the party’s historic 100 year anniversary.

He said today the CPC had become the world’s biggest political party with more than 90 million members and led the country with the largest population. He said despite the COVID-19 crisis, China had today achieved unprecedented economic growth, leaving lessons, learning lessons for the rest of us.

“I was so pleased to learn that the People’s Republic of China has lifted more than a 100 million people especially from rural areas out of poverty since 2012. With the CPC’s people-friendly economic policies, countrywide poverty eradication campaign, China’s success in combating poverty proves that true economic growth only counts if it benefits the poorest in society,” he said.