Pakistan PM building ties and infrastructure

Newly elected Shahbaz Sharif flags China-backed BRI vision as priority

To many people, the name Shahbaz Sharif is firmly attached to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

"In Shahbaz Sharif's previous tenure as the chief minister of Punjab between 2013 and 2018, his work on CPEC and China was known as 'Punjab speed', because his delivery and working before the timelines was so famous," said Mustafa Hyder Sayed, executive director of the Pakistan-China Institute. "He materialized hard and tangible projects in Punjab very successfully."

Soon after becoming Pakistan's new prime minister on Monday, Shahbaz said China seeks peaceful development and win-win cooperation, and the economic corridor binding the nations is a very good illustration of that.

The 70-year-old Shahbaz, who was elected Pakistan's 23rd prime minister in a vote by lawmakers, made the remarks during a meeting with Pang Chunxue, charge d'affaires of the Chinese embassy in Pakistan, the Pakistan Observer reported.

The CPEC, which integrates a range of Chinese-backed infrastructure projects, is not only of mutual benefit but is also a precious gift from the Chinese government to Pakistan, he noted.

After the completion of a number of CPEC energy projects, there had been a rapid improvement in the reliability of energy supplies, said Shahbaz, adding that Pakistan would still be suffering electricity shortages had it not been for those projects.

Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry, said at a daily news briefing on Thursday that China appreciates the remarks made by Shahbaz.

"We are ready to work with the new Pakistani government to have close exchange at all levels, substantiate and expand practical cooperation, build the CPEC toward the sustainable, livelihood-oriented and high-standard objectives, and accelerate the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era for the well-being of the two countries and the two peoples," he said.

On the previous day, Zhao said that since its launch in 2015, the CPEC has made an important contribution to Pakistan's economic development, improved people's livelihoods, and won broad appreciation and recognition.

Wang Shida, deputy director of the Institute of South Asian Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said Shahbaz has plenty of experience in infrastructure projects in Punjab.

Amina Khan, director of the Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East and Africa at the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad, said Punjab "is the heart of Pakistan". The description illustrates the importance of the most populous province.

On Monday, in Shahbaz's maiden address to Pakistan's National Assembly, the lower house of the parliament, he said developing Pakistan-China relations is a priority in Pakistan's diplomacy.

Sayed observed that in Shahbaz's victory speech "one of the first things that he talked about was the relationship with China" and "how he will accelerate, enhance and expand all facets of the Pakistan-China relationship".

"You can see the signals, the statements and policy that the new government under Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif will have vis-a-vis China and vis-a-vis the BRI," he said.

In the meeting with Pang, Shahbaz said Pakistan will continue to increase its input into the CPEC, work with China to expand the various fields of cooperation, and overcome all bottlenecks and obstacles to speed up the economic corridor's construction.

He noted that bilateral cooperation has been deepened in an all-round way, opening a new chapter in the construction of the CPEC.

Xinhua contributed to the story.

vivienxu@chinadailyapac.com