PCI’s model conferences a good step for understanding CPEC: Munir Ahmed

May 21, 1951, is the day when Pakistan and China joined hands for diplomatic and development collaboration. Pakistan was about four years old while China was just less than two. Then, China was satirically termed by the West as an “opium country” with a huge idle population. Meanwhile, Pakistan had no resources for its people’s welfare programmes or to run its economic affairs. Both countries were going through almost the same miseries. However, Pakistan managed its economic development a little better than China in the 1960s. Sadly, the two wars – 1965 and 1971–, the dictatorial regimes and the unending corruption and malpractices led us to where we are now.

We shall apologise to our people and express our grave embarrassment while celebrating 70 years of Pakistan and China’s diplomatic relations for being clumsy, crazy and corrupt, and for not learning anything positive from our brothers. Ever since independence, we preferred to depend on loans and borrowing from others–choosing to stay beggars. Here, we are today, standing at a position we never imagined. We kept compromising on national development and inclusive growth, but China did not. “One Party – One Vision” led China to a path of steady growth in all three sectors: social, economic and strategic. Now, we see China as an optimum economic threat to the so-called super-power–the US–and its allies that previously used to demean China.

Pakistan particularly needs to learn from the leadership of President Xi Jinping, who is also the Secretary-General of the Communist Party of China. His leadership has played a key role in raising half of China’s population from below the poverty line in just one decade. We need to ponder why our poverty alleviation programmes could not deliver. For how long would we keep giving fish to our marginalised ones? When would we start enabling the poor to catch fish?

We need to keep some basic facts in mind. After establishing our diplomatic relations in 1951, we sorted out our boundary issues in 1963. The military assistance began in 1966 while a strategic alliance was formed in 1972. The great economic co-operation began in 1979. Today, China has become Pakistan’s largest supplier of arms and its third-largest trading partner. In all historic events, China has had the upper hand. Would we ever like to build our strengths to match with China’s in future or would we always remain the lower hand?

The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is being termed as a “game changer” for Pakistan. Are we taking this enormous development initiative seriously? We made a commitment to China in March this year that we will organise 100 events in 2021 to mark the centennial celebrations of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70 years of Pakistan-China diplomatic ties. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to fulfil our part of the commitment so far. Sadly, our government did not even try to conduct a strategic review of the bilateral relations with China at this very important juncture of history. However, Pakistan-China Institute hosted the official ceremony of the CPC’s global celebrations and organised a conference “Pakistan-China at 70 – A Unique Development Partnership” in Islamabad. The four sessions of the conference were well-attended by leading experts and audiences from different walks of life. It was a good learning experience. Well done, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed and his PCI team.

Devcom-Pakistan’s webinar on “Pakistan-China Beyond 70 – What We Need to Act Upon?” explored many future options for Pakistan in collaboration with China. We need to move forward to become an economically strong country while learning from different Chinese models. China is more than willing to transform Pakistan’s systems. The question is, would we like to? China has always avoided armed conflicts and fiddling with the neighbouring countries. Rather, it has resolved all of his geopolitical and border conflicts, except a pending case of India. Can we stop becoming a party and proxy to the US aggressive designs for the region that has already ruined our economy and terrain?

The Pakistan government shall form different multilateral review committees to assess progress in different sectors and need analysis for future collaboration with China. Fair and rational time-bound targets shall be set up for each sector, and the Chinese experts shall be taken on board to replicate the development strategies implemented for growth and development in China. This would lead Pakistan to a stronger bilateral strategic and economic partnership with China in the coming years.

An independent performance review of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects would play a central role in briskly enhancing the domestic economic productivity, connectivity with the countries in the region and beyond. The mutual strategic collaboration against the hegemonic designs against CPEC and BRI would be a future asset for China and Pakistan. It would also ensure the peace and prosperity of the region. Pakistan-China collaboration for the peace in Afghanistan and its reconstruction would be a great initiative shortly.

At the moment, Pakistan needs to have a well-defined social sector development plan to engage its rural communities, develop cottage industry and promote its ICT exports. The Chinese development models and collaboration of experts would be a great source of help besides enhancing institutional collaboration. To work with China more effectively and efficiently, we should start thinking and acting like Chinese. For quick development, there is no option but to be a workaholic.