China says willing to promote economic corridor with Pakistan

Record ID: 162577

  • Title: China says willing to promote economic corridor with Pakistan
  • Date: 28th December 2016
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (DECEMBER 28, 2016) (REUTERS) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN HUA CHUNYING WALKING IN FOR REGULAR BRIEFING MEDIA SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN HUA CHUNYING SAYING: "Construction of the China-Pak Economic Corridor is a cooperation framework that the two countries set up with an eye to the future development of a long-term relationship. This economic corridor construction is not only beneficial to Pakistan's economic and social development, but can also, as part of the "One Belt, One Road" construction, promote regional connectivity and development of infrastructure construction. So we are willing to work with Pakistan to steadily push forward relevant corridor construction." BRIEFING IN PROGRESS EXTERIOR OF CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY CHINESE NATIONAL FLAG FLYING
  • Embargoed: 12th January 2017 10:07
  • Keywords: China Pakistan transportation financing roads Chinese money
  • Location: BEIJING, CHINA
  • City: BEIJING, CHINA
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0015ESRM11
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:China's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday (December 28) it was willing to promote the economic corridor with Pakistan, after Pakistan said it would secure soft loans from China totalling around $1 billion for three road projects in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
    Spokesman for Pakistan's National Highway Authority (NHA) Ashraf Zaman told Reuters on Tuesday (December 27) hopefully relevant agreement would be signed in China-Pakistan Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting this week.
    In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she had no details about the meeting or any financing deals to be reached, but that the economic corridor project was an important one for both countries.
    "Construction of the China-Pak Economic Corridor is a cooperation framework that the two countries set up with an eye to the future development of a long-term relationship. This economic corridor construction is not only beneficial to Pakistan's economic and social development, but can also, as part of the "One Belt, One Road" construction, promote regional connectivity and development of infrastructure construction. So we are willing to work with Pakistan to steadily push forward relevant corridor construction," she told reporters at a daily briefing in Beijing.
    Under the "One Belt, One Road" program announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, China aims to invest in infrastructure projects including railways and power grids in central, west and southern Asia, as well as Africa and Europe.
    The roads lie on the western route of CPEC, a $55 billion network of roads, rail links, power plants and other infrastructure connecting western China to Pakistan's Arabian Sea port of Gwadar.
    They include roads from Raikot to Thakot, Yarik to Zhob and from Basima to Khuzdar, Zaman said, adding that the deal to finance the three roads was struck last month.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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