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On Tuesday, the top Chinese diplomat issued a stern warning that plots hatched to disrupt with China’s ties with Pakistan will not hold up.
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State Councilor Wang Yi told Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, that China welcomes the positive start to an “all-weather” partnership with Pakistan, adding that “any conspiracies attempting to incite disharmony or interfere in China-Pakistan relations will not prevail.”
The state councilor said the two countries should continue to make “all-out” efforts to promote the economic corridor, expand trade and reduce poverty to bring more benefits to the ordinary people of Pakistan.
The Chinese government pledged US$57 billion to build power stations, major highways, new railways and high capacity ports along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a key part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road plan to further tie China to Eurasia.
Qureshi reassured Wang that the corridor is “extremely important” to Pakistan and has brought “deep impact” for jobs, development and livelihood, and as such their relationship remains solid.
Beijing has faced heavy criticism of its economic projects in Pakistan as well as tightening security in China’s western Xinjiang region.
In July, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo remarked that any potential International Monetary Fund economic bailout for Pakistan should not be used to pay off Chinese loans.
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