China eager to support Pakistan in pursuing China development model: Chinese Ambassador

Islamabad: Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong has said that that China was eager to support Pakistan in pursuing China development model appropriate for the circumstances on the ground because the two countries are all-weather friends.

Addressing dialogue on ‘Global Development & Governance’ themed on ‘Governance Experience Exchange Between Pakistan and China’ organsied by the Pakistan-China Institute and Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies, the Ambassador mentioned that through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), China was also eager to expand its exchanges in the area of governance, such as lowering poverty levels and raising peoples’ standards of living.

He praised the Communist Party of China (CPC), whose initiatives have profoundly changed China. He remarked that the upcoming 20th Congress of CPC would make plans for the future and set new objectives that would be accomplished by working together to benefit all peoples. “China and Pakistan are strategic allies that have consistently stood by one another through tough times,” he added.

In his speech, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman of the Defense Committee of the Senate of Pakistan and Chairman of Pakistan-China Institute, extended congratulations to China on the 95th Anniversary of founding of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

He contended that Pakistan was firmly committed to the One-China Policy and to preserving, promoting and protecting the strategic partnership with China.

He also discussed President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which he termed the twenty-first century’s most important development and diplomatic initiative.

Sayed underlined that CPEC, the BRI’s flagship undertaking, was progressing admirably since it has modernized the nation’s infrastructure and raised the socioeconomic standing of its citizens.

Lastly, he quoted two studies by the Harvard University. The first study, titled ‘Understanding CCP Resilience: Surveying Chinese Public Opinion Through Time, was published by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation of Harvard University in July 2020. The study found that there was very high satisfaction with the central government in China.

The second study by Graham Allison of Harvard University was titled “The Great Tech Rivalry: China vs. the U.S.” The study shows that China has displaced the US as the world’s top high-tech manufacturer, producing 250 million computers, 25 million automobiles, and 1.5 billion smartphones in 2020.

Moreover, it says that beyond becoming a manufacturing powerhouse, China has become a serious competitor in the foundational technologies of the 21st century: artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, quantum information science (QIS), semiconductors, biotechnology, robotics and green energy.

Addressing the audience, Gao Anming, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of China International Communications Group (CICG), stressed deepening high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and actively promoting the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Global development is inseparable from connectivity and open cooperation.

The joint construction of the “Belt and Road” pursues development, advocates win-win results, and conveys hope. As a landmark project in the joint construction of the “Belt and Road,” the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a practical example of win-win cooperation between the two countries. Since the start of construction in 2015, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has brought a total of US$25.4 billion in direct investment to Pakistan with 22 priority projects completed, which resulted in the creation of more than 70,000 jobs effectively improving people’s livelihood and well-being.

Later, a joint research publication titled “Pakistan’s View On Governance Of China In The New Era (2012-2022): Perception & Inspiration” was released by Ambassador Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry (retd), former Foreign Secretary and currently Director General Institute of Strategic Studies.

While presenting the paper, Aizaz Chaudhry said that China had climbed the ladder of development much faster than other countries.

Under Mao Zedong, he said, China focussed on three key areas: universal education, mobilization of women in the workforce, and mobilization of people in the workforce.

Moreover, he observed two significant features of Chinese governance: “First, China adheres to governance with a clear vision and purpose. China, through this, wants to achieve the goal of making China a moderately prosperous society by 2049. Second, it seems that the Chinese governance system is centralized at the outset. In reality, it is highly decentralized as local congresses across the counties and townships are elected democratically with guidance from the top. Lastly, he said that countries like Pakistan need to learn from China’s peaceful rise,” he explained.

Yu Yunquan, President of Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies, in his speech said that in the report, many Pakistani experts believe that there are two reasons why China can achieve “good governance” in the new era: One is the wise leadership of President Xi Jinping whose thoughts on governing the country have been highly recognized by the international community including Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the second is democratic consultative governance brings together a wide range of representation of people’s power.

“For instance, more than 1 billion voters in China directly elected more than 2 million deputies to people’s congresses across the county and township levels, probably the world’s largest grass-roots election,” he underscored.

Mustafa Hyder Sayed, Executive Director of Pakistan-China Institute, said that the era of reform and opening-up was the inflection point that transformed China into the second biggest world economy.

He attributed China’s peaceful rise to the policy consistency the successive leaders of had adopted. China’s vision of building a community of shared future is being achieved as a result of President Xi Jinping’s people-centric policies.

Wang Xiaohui, Editor-in-Chief of China Internet Information Center, quoted President Xi Jinping, who said that ‘only the man who wears the shoes can tell whether it fits or not. China’s development model, he said, is people-centered and has achieved significant dividends over the period. Commenting on the CPEC, he said both countries had deepened cooperation during its first phase, which resulted in alleviating the energy crisis and infrastructure modernization.

Dr Ye Hailin, Deputy Director General of Bureau of International Cooperation, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that in the coming days, the world will witness increasing uncertainty due to the global supply chain disruption triggered by the Ukraine crisis.

Dr Zhang Jidong, Research Fellow, Division Director for International Cooperation, National Development and Reform Commission, quoted President Xi Jinping, who said that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and firmly support each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns. The mutual trust and friendship between the two countries have stood the test of 70 years of international vicissitudes and have always been rock solid.

Dr Safdar Sohail, Dean of the National Institute of Public Policy, Lahore, said that CPEC would be the roadmap for deeper bilateral trade and investment cooperation between Pakistan and China. Both countries, he said, want to cement this relationship further, and it will only be possible through the collective efforts of both parties.

Dr Vaqar Ahmed, Joint Executive Director of Sustainable Development Policy Institute, said that we learned from China the importance of community-level governance, which has lifted millions of people out of poverty.

He said that economic growth alone could not alleviate poverty unless and until the economic activity doesn’t generate employment. Moreover, he suggested including the services sector in the Free Trade Agreement between Pakistan and China.

The webinar lasted three and a half hours and was attended by over 50 participants. A diverse audience of students, scholars, and the media actively participated in this webinar.