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Pakistan envoy responds
After the successful completion of its first phase of high-quality infrastructural development, the CPEC is now focusing on industrial, agricultural and technological advancement.
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Gwadar Port before the inauguration of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Gwadar, Pakistan, on Nov. 13, 2016. (Reuters/Caren Firouz)
I
would like to draw your attention to James M. Dorsey’s op-ed titled “China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Slowly Imploding”, which appeared in the Dec. 22, 2021, edition of The Jakarta Post. The article pertains to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
I would like to point out the many factual inaccuracies, flawed comparisons and misdrawn conclusions in the story that need to be corrected.
To start with, the title of the article is misleading. It insinuates that the CPEC, and by extension BRI, is in deep trouble. The factual position is that the CPEC is progressing smoothly. Thus far, CPEC projects have created more than 75,000 jobs in Pakistan and helped materialize direct investment amounting to US$25.4 billion.
The first phase of CPEC projects focused on energy and infrastructure development. To deal with power shortages, 22 energy projects with a total capacity of 17,045 megawatts (MW) have been planned until 2030, creating more than 46,000 local jobs. Of these, 10 energy projects with a total installed capacity of 5,320 MW have been operationalized.
Four more projects are currently under construction. CPEC power stations provide one-third of the total power supply for Pakistan. Along with energy projects, Pakistan’s infrastructure and transport network is also being modernized.
After the successful completion of its first phase of high-quality infrastructural development, the CPEC is now focusing on industrial, agricultural and technological advancement. Nine Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are being set up across the country, attracting foreign direct investment from around the world. It will create thousands of jobs for the local population. Both Pakistan and China are determined to complete the project within its stipulated time i.e., 2030.
In a bid to make a mountain out of a molehill, the author has tried to make a flawed comparison between a peaceful protest in the port city of Gwadar, Pakistan, to the “Arab Spring”. This could be the author’s wishful thinking, but wishes are not the horses to be ridden by beggars. The fact is that protestors who had been pressing for their legitimate demands pertaining to the provision of basic amenities and job security, peacefully called off the protest after successful intervention by the authorities.
Contrary to what the author has claimed, the strategic partnership between China and Pakistan stands on solid ground and continues to move from strength to strength. The all-weather friendship between China and Pakistan has withstood the test of time, notwithstanding the changes in domestic, regional and international environments. Both countries are determined to take this relationship to a new height based on mutual respect, trust and shared objectives.
Muhammad Hassan
Pakistan ambassador to Indonesia, Timor Leste and ASEAN
Jakarta
