Ties with China ‘cornerstone’ of Pakistan’s foreign policy, says Senator Mushahid Hussain

While talking to Chinese Media, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman of the Senate Defense Committee said that PM Shehbaz Sharif would lead CPEC forward with renewed zeal and vitality, assuring the multidimensional growth of BRI’s main project. He added that Shehbaz Sharif met the Chinese Acting Ambassador on his first day in office as PM and assured her that Pakistan regards China as its closest friend and strongest partner and that the CPEC will be pursued with renewed enthusiasm, vitality, and vigor. He stated that China and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had a long and fruitful relationship. The CPEC was the centerpiece of President Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative, which was carried out by PM Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shehbaz Sharif, who was then the Punjab Chief Minister. Senator Mushahid predicted that under the new leadership, Pakistan-China relations would improve dramatically in all areas. China is the top priority in terms of foreign policy, as the PM stated when he listed the countries, and his formulation has been enthusiastically received in China. Senator Mushahid also stated that China was the one country in Pakistan where there was unanimous national agreement and the whole leadership agreed that China was Pakistan’s best friend. In response to a question on the CPEC’s continued momentum, he stated that the first phase of the project was completed while Nawaz Sharif was in power. “The second phase is more extensive. And you might see some acceleration in the fields of agriculture, information technology, tourism, and infrastructure, particularly the railway project, he added.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will take China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) forward with new vigor, vitality and in a rejuvenated manner ensuring multifaceted development of the flagship project of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed said on Sunday.

“In the first day in office as Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif met the Chinese Acting Ambassador and told her that Pakistan considers China as Pakistan’s closest friend and strongest partner and we will take the CPEC forward with new vigor, with new vitality and in a rejuvenated manner,” he said while discussing future of Pakistan-China relations and future cross border collaboration in CGTN program,The Hub with Wang Guan.

Senator Mushahid remarked that China had a very old and longstanding relationship with PM Shehbaz Sharif. When the Belt and Road Initiative of President Xi Jinping was launched, the CPEC was its centrepiece, and that was taken forward by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shehbaz Sharif was then the Chief Minister of Punjab.

He said that under the new government, there would be a broad based acceleration in Pakistan-China relations in all domains.

“China is number one, in terms of a foreign policy priority, which the prime minister made clear when he listed the list of countries and his formulation has been very warmly welcomed in China. So, we have no doubt,” he added.

Senator Mushahid said that China was one country in Pakistan, on which there was across the board national consensus and entire leadership agreed with that China was the number one friend.
“So, China friendship is the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy, and I see this relationship being further developed and taken to new heights of the development,” he added.

In response to a question about continued momentum in CPEC projects, he said that the first phase of CPEC was completed under the period when Nawaz Sharif was in power.

“The second phase is bigger. And you will see perhaps acceleration in the field of agriculture, in the field of Information Technology, in the field of tourism, and also infrastructure, especially the railway project,” he added.

He said that Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif had already announced during his visit to Karachi that his government would expand CPEC. So, there would be multifaceted development of CPEC.
Senator Mushahid opined that CPEC framework also united the federation of Pakistan through infrastructure and energy projects and it had resolved a lot of problems, adding, “So, we feel CPEC is the character of a better tomorrow for the people of Pakistan.”