On Saturday, Pakistan and China pledged to advance the high-quality development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) 2.0, focusing on industrialization, Special Economic Zones (SEZs), clean energy, agriculture, and livelihood initiatives.
This commitment was made during the fifth session of the CPEC Joint Working Group on International Cooperation and Coordination (JWG-ICC) held in Beijing. The meeting was co-chaired by Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch and China’s Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, as reported by a Foreign Office spokesperson.
Both nations recognized the crucial role of CPEC in enhancing regional connectivity and fostering cooperative growth, emphasizing partnerships with other countries. They reviewed the progress achieved since the fourth JWG-ICC meeting, which took place in Islamabad.
Foreign Secretary Baloch emphasized that CPEC stands as the foundation of economic collaboration and a testament to the enduring friendship between Pakistan and China. Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong highlighted the synergetic relationship of the five new corridors introduced in CPEC 2.0: growth, livelihood, innovation, open, and green corridors, aligned with Pakistan’s national development framework centered on the 5 E’s: Exports, E-Pakistan, Energy, Environment, and Equity.
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The two nations expressed their determination to enhance cooperation in media, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people connections to foster a community of shared future between China and Pakistan in this new era.
Both countries reflected positively on their bilateral relations and reaffirmed their intent to deepen their strategic cooperative partnership, building on agreements made during the fourth round of Pakistan-China Bilateral Political Consultations.
They also discussed a variety of regional and global issues, agreeing to improve their mutual coordination and dialogue through high-level exchanges. Secretary Baloch characterized the Pakistan-China relationship as special and unique, underlining the strong appreciation the Pakistani government and citizens hold for this enduring friendship.
Additionally, Islamabad and Beijing highlighted the importance of strengthening their collaboration at multilateral forums, including the United Nations Security Council. Following the joint meeting, Secretary Baloch engaged with Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu to further discuss Pakistan-China relations and relevant regional and international matters.
