Experts anticipate next CPEC phase to bring more benefits

Source: The Nation

Date: 31/1/2019

SARGODHA-The next phase of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will be more beneficial for both China and Pakistan in terms of macroeconomic achievements and strengthening of energy sector.

US has been sympathetic for the CPEC long before the idea was hatched and called China privately to give economic input in Pakistan, but could not openly support the flagship project of Belt and Road Initiative especially under Trump’s reign due to the competition dynamism.

This was said by Andrew Small, Senior Transatlantic Fellow with the German Marshall Fund’s Asia Program during his special lecture on “Future Directions in Chinese Foreign Policy” at the University of Sargodha on Wednesday.

The lecture, organized by Pakistan Institute of China Studies (PICS), was attended by UoS Vice Chancellor Dr Ishtiaq Ahmad, Director PICS Dr Fazalur Rahman, In-charge School of Politics and International Relations Dr Azam, senior faculty members and students of various departments of Social Sciences.

In his welcome address, Dr Fazalur Rahman said that since China is a great power with consistent economic rise for decades, its foreign policy and strategic thinking are highly influential.

“The Chinese foreign policy is pro-peace and pro-development with a special focus on economic cooperation and excellent relations with neighbouring countries.

Other features of this policy are accessing major parts of the globe including Europe and Africa and playing key role in global economic order,” said the Director.

Speaking about the context of US-China relations, Andrew Small remarked that premise of the US-China relations changed over the time dramatically, starting from Kissinger’s secret visit to Beijing. It was largely founded on anti-soviet premises with the US looking to enlist Chinese support against the Soviets and get help for getting out from Vietnam but the views was to bolstering Chinese capacity and overstretch the Soviet Union in its main theatre Europe.