China lauds CPEC Authrotiy role in fast-track completion of CPEC

China said Monday that its cooperation with Pakistan has “deepened” and friendship “expanded” since the establishment of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority.

“Our mutual trust is consolidated and our cooperation deepened, friendship expanded, in particular since the establishment of the CPEC Authority,” Lijian Zhao, the spokesperson for the Chinese foreign minister, said Monday during a press briefing.

Pakistan had formed the CPEC Authority in October 2019 with an aim to ensure the timely completion of the projects under the CPEC. In November 2019, Lieutenant General (retired) Asim Saleem Bajwa was appointed its chairman for four years through a notification.

The foreign ministry’s spokesperson said that the CPEC is an important pilot project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and a symbolic project of China-Pakistan cooperation.

“We would like to work with Pakistan for new progress in our cooperation and foster a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era to deliver benefits to the both countries,” Zhao told journalists.

The spokesperson for the China’s foreign ministry also appreciated Prime Minister Imran’s remarks about the relationship with two countries in an interview that he gave to Al-Jazeera a few days ago.

“China commends Prime Minister Imran Khan’s remarks on bilateral relations,” Zhao said, adding that China and Pakistan are “all weather strategic cooperative partners”.

“Since the beginning of this year, our bilateral relations have withstood the test of COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.

In an interview with Al-Jazeera, PM Khan had said that his country’s economic future is linked to China and the relationship between the two countries is “better than ever before”.

He had further said that China’s growth rate was faster than any other country in the world.