BEIJING, Pakistan can benefit from the stability and development of Xinjiang, which can also benefit from China-Pakistan economic and trade cooperation and the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), so this is a win-win and mutually beneficial outcome, said former Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Yao Jing.
Xinjiang should be promoted to become a link between Pakistan and other countries in the future, said Yao, now director of the Foreign Affairs Office the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region People’s Government.
“Central Asia’s economy and development are highly complementary, and China has provided Pakistan a good platform to expand its foreign economic and trade ties and enhance its foreign relations,” he told China Economic Net.
In order to speed up the construction of the Belt and Road Core Area, the Party Committee and the government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have put forward a series of policy proposals, put the construction of the China-Pakistan economic corridor in a more important position, and continuously promoted economic and trade exchanges with Pakistan to a broader space.
“Xinjiang is bordered by Pakistan, both historically and now, culturally, economically and tradeally,” he said.
He said, in the process of building the CPEC, almost all the people, materials and equipment are transported to Pakistan through Xinjiang, and many large enterprises directly build production bases in Xinjiang, as the starting point of the corridor, Xinjiang’s important position is very prominent.
Xinjiang should make use of the advantages along the border to accelerate the promotion of high-quality development under the premise of ensuring epidemic prevention.
In particular, the outbreak situation, the autonomous region government from February this year began to fully protect the goods customs clearance.
Xinjiang’s geographical advantages can also build a trade bridge between Pakistan and Central Asia. The highways in Xinjiang are already very developed, so Xinjiang should be promoted to become a link between Pakistan and other countries in the future.
Yao Jing observed that from 2017 to 2020 was a period of consolidation and expansion, a stage in which the economic development of China and Pakistan will really benefit the two peoples.
Yao Jing has always been highly concerned about the construction of the corridor, “I believe that Pakistan’s support and participation in the CPEC has continued unabated, from the supreme leader to all branches of government.
That is because the design of the CPEC and its actual role are entirely due to Pakistan’s own economic needs and to Pakistan’s need for improvement of people’s livelihood.”
From the 1990s to the present, Yao Jing has witnessed the stage of rapid development of China-Pakistan relations.
In 1994, 25-year-old Yao Jing was posted at the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan and in his first five years in Pakistan, he often dealt with local people.
From 2007 to 2010, Yao Jing made his second trip to Pakistan. In the past three years, as China’s government counsellor in Pakistan, the content of his work has changed and relations between the two countries have taken to a new level.
He said, in 2005, there was a major earthquake in Pakistan’s northwest border, and China did its best to help. “We were among the first countries to provide aid to Pakistan, and all relief supplies were delivered directly from the country to Pakistan by special plane.”
According to Yao Jing, China’s sincerity has been affirmed by the Pakistani people, and when the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, Pakistan poured in to help. In support of China, Pakistan has drawn up national reserves to urgently transport 22,260 tents in the country’s total war-ready stockpile to the affected areas.
During 2017-2020, Yao Jing posted as China’s ambassador to Pakistan. During Covid-19 pandemic, Pakistan responded by urgently mobilizing 300,000 medical masks, 800 medical protective clothing and 6,800 pairs of gloves from its national public hospital inventory to support China.
With the subsequent spread of the epidemic in Pakistan, China opened a comprehensive assistance to Pakistan, he added.
In recognition of Yao Jing’s contribution to the development of Pakistan-China relations during his tenure, Pakistan awarded Yao Jing his highest civilian medal.
From a staff to ambassadors, from Islamabad to Urumqi, Yao Jing’s life trajectory has become inextricably linked to the development of China-Pakistan relations.
At the end of the interview, he said passionately: “In my life, China-Pakistan friendship will always have its rightful place. No matter what work I do in the future, no matter what position I hold, I will have special feelings for China-Pakistan friendly relations.”
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