China ready to work with Pakistan on Global South development initiative: Chinese envoy

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong reiterated China’s commitment to collaborate with Pakistan in actively implementing its Global South initiative aimed at common development and shared cooperation.

Recently, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a series of measures benefiting Global South countries, including the establishment of a Global South research center, offering 1,000 scholarships under the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence Scholarship of Excellence, and providing 100,000 training opportunities over the next five years.

In an interview with APP on Sunday, Jiang expressed China’s readiness to implement these measures for Pakistan and other countries. He emphasised that these initiatives demonstrate China’s steadfast determination to foster development and revitalisation within the Global South.

Jiang underscored that China’s Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence provide a framework to tackle global challenges and promote a shared vision of global peace, security, and prosperity.

He highlighted the significant economic contribution of the Global South, noting that its share in world economic growth over the past two decades has been as high as 80%.

Moreover, the region’s global GDP share has increased from 24% to over 40% in the past 40 years.

Jiang emphasised that politically, the Global South countries are no longer merely silent participants on the international stage but are recognised as a pivotal force in transforming the international order.

He referenced President Xi’s recent remarks at the Beijing Declaration of the Conference marking the 70th Anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, urging the Global South to lead in building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Pakistan’s participation in this conference was noted, which saw high-level representation from over 100 countries.

The ambassador reiterated China’s commitment to working with all nations to implement this initiative effectively, acting as a strong advocate for peace, development, and global governance. He stressed the importance of strengthening South-South and North-South cooperation to advance human progress.

Regarding China-Pakistan relations, the ambassador reaffirmed China’s support for Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He highlighted the outcomes of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent visit to China, focusing on strategic and security cooperation and the enhancement of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) under President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The ambassador described Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit as achieving expected goals and fruitful results, providing a roadmap for enhancing all-weather strategic cooperation in the new era.

He outlined specific areas of cooperation agreed upon during the visit, including mining, development of offshore oil and gas resources, clean energy, artificial intelligence, science and technology, finance, and space cooperation. These initiatives, he noted, will inject new momentum into practical cooperation between China and Pakistan.

Jiang further emphasised President Xi’s personal commitment to advancing China-Pakistan relations, especially through major projects like the Main Line-1 railways, the Karakoram Highway, year-round operation of the Khunjerab Pass, and development of Gwadar Port.

He highlighted the importance of Sino-Pakistani cooperation at international forums, particularly with China’s presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and Pakistan’s upcoming hosting of the SCO’s Council of Heads of Government meeting, alongside its non-permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council.

Regarding security cooperation, the ambassador expressed confidence in the joint efforts of relevant departments from both sides to elevate security cooperation to new heights.

He underscored the importance of creating a safe environment for the development of China-Pakistan relations, particularly following the terrorist attack on the Chinese convoy at the Dasu Hydropower Project in March 2024.

The ambassador reiterated President Xi’s assurance of China’s support for Pakistan in combating terrorism and urged Pakistan to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals, projects, and institutions within its borders. He acknowledged PM Shehbaz’s commitment to cracking down on terrorism and providing necessary security measures.