In September and October 2013, President of China Xi Jinping visited Kazakhstan and Indonesia and put forward the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, or the Belt and Road Initiative.
At present, the world has entered a period of turbulence and change, and instability and uncertainty have risen significantly. Where should human society go? ‘Moving forward towards building a community of human destiny’ is China's firm and clear program. The community of human destiny is a beautiful blueprint for the future development of mankind that we have drawn up. But how should we go about realizing it?
The Belt and Road has become a path and a method for building a community of human destiny. The history, culture and traditions shared by all the people along the Silk Road, be it the Grassland Silk Road, the Silk Road on the road or the Silk Road on the sea, have precisely injected more vitality into the development of economic cooperation under the Belt and Road. The Belt and Road is precisely to break down the barriers of division and obstacles, emphasizing connectivity, openness and inclusiveness.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the inception of Belt and Road Initiative and the 10th anniversary of the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. For a long time, China and Pakistan have been cooperating to promote the high-quality development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which was only on paper 10 years ago, but today the vision has been transformed into more than $25 billion of projects in various fields, including energy, infrastructure, and information technology and socio-economic development.
Over the past 10 years, China and Pakistan have overcome various difficulties and challenges through joint efforts and achieved fruitful results. This cooperation has not only promoted the economic development of the two countries, but also provided other countries with experience that can be drawn upon. The success of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has taught us that common prosperity and development can be realized only through cooperation.
A few days ago, Pakistan's Minister of Planning, Development and Special Projects Ahsan Iqbal said in his speech at the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor that the success of the construction of the CPEC demonstrates to the world an example of the strength of the Pakistan-China relationship. The CPEC further promotes economic and trade cooperation between the two countries on the basis of the traditional political mutual trust between Pakistan and China. The CPEC under China's One Belt, One Road initiative not only contributes to the economic and social development of the local community, but also injects impetus to the peaceful development of the region.
By the end of 2022, the CPEC will directly create 236,000 jobs. Gwadar Port is the jewel of the CPEC, which is crucial for Pakistan to realize economic transformation. This year, important progress will be made on many key projects, including the new Gwadar International Airport, and new projects will accelerate the development of Gwadar Port and the Free Trade Zone.
At present, the second phase of the construction of the CPEC has been launched, which will vigorously drive cooperation between the two countries in the fields of industry, science and technology, agriculture and other areas. It is the general consensus of all circles in Pakistan that the CPEC is of great significance to Pakistan's economic development and social progress.
This year, Pakistan has been facing the most serious economic crisis since its independence, and there have been devastating floods and other disasters in the country. As an important neighboring country of Pakistan, China has long noticed a series of problems in the country, and during a series of exchanges between the two sides in recent times, China has repeatedly mentioned its concern about the domestic situation in the country, and reiterated its support for the maintenance of stability in the domestic situation in the country.
As good neighbors, friends, partners and brothers, the people of China and Pakistan have always stood together to promote world peace and development and to build a community of human destiny. It is the common wish of the Chinese and Pakistani people to continue to promote the construction of the Belt and Road in high quality. As the CPEC enters its second decade of construction, it will become an exemplary model for the community of human destiny and an example of cooperation in global governance for the people of China and Pakistan.
As one of the most renowned independent think tanks in China, the main goal of the Grandview Institution is to promote dialogue and strengthen communication between China and the rest of the world, so as to manage differences, seek common ground while reserving differences, and achieve mutual benefits and win-win results, thus contributing to world peace and development. Recently, China has just announced the Foreign Relations Law of the People's Republic of China, which makes general provisions for the development of China's foreign relations, including Article 7, which stipulates: ‘The State encourages the active development of friendly exchanges and cooperation among private citizens with foreign countries. Those who have made outstanding contributions in foreign exchanges and cooperation shall be recognized and rewarded in accordance with relevant state regulations.’ Under this guidance, the Grandview Institution will continue to work for the promotion of world peace and stability.
The establishment of the Islamabad Center of the Grandview Institution is the latest initiative to continue to promote China-Pakistan friendship and dialogue and exchange between China and South Asia. Through dialogues and exchanges with renowned foreign think tanks, politicians and scholars, the Grandview Institution will make positive contributions to peaceful development in the world.