New roads, bridges and tunnels set to transform Pakistan are under construction, with industrial zones being planned and new jobs being created. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project will also strengthen Pakistan’s energy infrastructure and modernize the education system in the country.
by Hu Zhoumeng
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), seen by many as a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, has made inspiring progress in generating economic vitality and regional connectivity. With the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) having closed with fruitful results on May 15 in Beijing, China Pictorial talked to Ahmad Rashid Malik, director of the China-Pakistan Study Centre (CPSC) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, in Pakistan, for a review of the forum and a close examination of how the CPEC is changing the South Asian country.
China Pictorial: What part of President Xi Jinping’s speech at the opening ceremony of the BRF impressed you most?
Dr. Malik: I listened to his speech carefully, with emotion and a thriving heart. I was impressed by his visionary leadership, not only for China but also for the world. President Xi proved that he is a world leader. He called for every country to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative, a project for this century. He remarked that ‘history is our teacher,’ and talked about the ancient Silk Road, which connected China with the rest of the world and opened up relations, as well as exchanges of ideas, goods and knowledge. The Silk Road, as he said, was a civilizational corridor that brought many civilizations together. The Belt and Road Initiative promotes development and cooperation among nations across all continents. This is President Xi’s vision of connectivity, where all are included.
