Gwadar Airport as a ‘gift’ from China to Pakistan offers potential for regional connectivity and remarkable development. H.E. Li Qiang, Premier of People’s Republic of China inaugurated the Gwadar International Airport as he is on an official visit to Pakistan. The $200-million Gwadar International Airport, a key project of the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), was inaugurated during a ceremony at Pakistan’s Prime Minister Office in Islamabad. As one of the largest airports in the country, it will accommodate both domestic and international flights, as per the Civil Aviation Authority.
Premier Li at the ceremony
Li remarked the completion of the airport as a ‘milestone’ in regional connectivity. He emphasized on the strategic importance of Gwadar city as a crucial deep sea port and described it as a center stage for regional development.
Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang, in his remarks, congratulated the Pakistani government and nation on behalf of the Chinese government and people for the completion of Gwadar International Airport. He highlighted that the airport’s completion reflected the dedication of both Chinese and Pakistani engineers and workers and expressed gratitude to the Pakistani society for their support.
He reaffirmed the commitment to collaborate closely with Pakistani partners to expedite mutual economic growth in the future.
Pakistan’s PM remarks at the inauguration
Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif during the inauguration event thanked China’s leadership and commitment to invest in Pakistan, support Pakistan’s economic outlook and help develop its backward regions.
He expressed optimism that the completion of the airport would help transform Gwadar and Pakistan’s economy. The prime minister expressed gratitude to President Xi, the Chinese premier, and the people of China for their generous ‘gift’ in the form of Gwadar International Airport. He further stressed that this ‘gift’ is another feather in CPEC’s cap.
The Prime Minister mentioned the vigorous efforts and determination of Chinese and the Pakistani staff and engineers who ensured the completion of the airport.
Gwadar airport – ‘gift’ from China
China and Pakistan share a long history of strong, deep rooted bilateral relations. The relation between the two states stands on mutual trust and friendship. The $64 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), launched in 2015 under China’s Belt and Road Initiative, aims to link China’s northwestern Xinjiang province with Pakistan’s Balochistan province through a 2,000-mile network of roads, railways, and pipelines.
Furthermore, a key element of CPEC is the deep-sea Gwadar port, which is aimed at connecting China to the Arabian sea and offer shorter and more efficient trade route to China and regional countries. The development of Gwadar and the completion of the Gwadar airport comes at a time where Pakistan is seeking economic growth and China is making significant investments in Pakistan.
Michael McFaul, in a post on X, raised a query about Gwadar Airport being a gift for Pakistan. McFaul is a Political Science Professor, Director of Freeman Spogli Institute and Senior Fellow at Stanford University. He has also served as an Ambassador of United States to Russia from 2012 to 2014.
It shall be noted that the airport was completed in 5 years financed by China’s Grant Assistance in face of numerous challenges. The state of the art, high standard airport demonstrates the strength of Pakistan China economic cooperation. Despite regional security challenges, both states have worked to strengthen and solidify economic relations. The Prime Minister’s referral to the airport as a ‘gift’ was intended at the right place to praise the dedication of China towards Pakistan. It is no secret that Gwadar, located in an underdeveloped province of Balochistan requires remarkable efforts to reach to levels of development that are praiseworthy. China has shown unprecedented engagement in the region in order to foster growth and facilitate global trade.
The two-way commitment
Moreover, by remarking it as a gift from China to Pakistan, PM Shehbaz has demonstrated Pakistan’s commitment towards working with China and shed light on the unwavering support that China has shown towards its key ally in the region. As China’s economic footprint in South Asia continues to grow and strengthen, Pakistan remains a strong partner for it in the region. Thereby, China continues to strategically invest in Pakistan to enhance regional connectivity.
Lastly, China has remained true to its civilizational norms and history. It has used its centralized form of government to its advantage, upgrading not only the quality of life of its own citizens but also contributing to elevation of societies in its neighborhood and beyond. China share a vision of peace and development where economic growth serve as a cornerstone of its interactions.
Thus, the two-way relationship stands stronger than ever where the relation between the two states has elevated to strategic partnership from long and expanded into the domain of social and economic development, in a way that is mutually beneficial and reinforcing.
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