Pakistan's PM Sharif advocates for the expansion of China's Belt and Road Initiative

Photo : PTI

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for an expansion of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to bolster regional cooperation during a recent meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Islamabad. This meeting gathered heads of government from 11 nations, including key players like China, Russia, and India, marking a significant diplomatic event for Pakistan.

During his address, Sharif emphasized the importance of flagship projects like the BRI, initiated by President Xi Jinping, urging a focus on developing critical road, rail, and digital infrastructure that fosters greater integration and cooperation within the region. He underscored the BRI's role in connecting Asia with Africa and Europe, referring to it as a $1 trillion plan launched a decade ago to create a vast network of infrastructure and energy links.

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The BRI has been met with skepticism from Beijing's rivals, who view it as a strategy for China to extend its geopolitical and economic reach. In response to the BRI, Western nations, under the G7 framework, proposed a $600 billion initiative aimed at establishing a competing connectivity infrastructure development plan. Critics of the BRI argue that it contributes to unsustainable debt levels in developing nations.

A significant component of the BRI is the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which has seen substantial Chinese investment in Pakistan, funding projects such as road networks, a strategic port, and an airport. Sharif noted that CPEC would enhance regional cooperation and highlighted the fact that approximately 40% of the world’s population resides in the ten full member states of the SCO.

This SCO summit represents the highest-profile international event hosted by Pakistan in recent years, attended by seven prime ministers, including Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Sharif also remarked on the necessity of stability in neighboring Afghanistan, situated between South and Central Asia, as a prerequisite for unlocking trade potential among SCO member states.

The meeting is particularly notable as it marks the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly a decade. India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar attended, underscoring the tense and frosty relations that persist between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

This gathering not only highlights Pakistan's efforts to strengthen ties within the region but also reflects the intricate dynamics at play as countries navigate economic partnerships and geopolitical strategies in an increasingly complex global landscape.

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