ISLAMABAD: Acting Ambassador of China to Pakistan Zhao Lijian on Friday said that environmentally friendly technology is being used in coal-based power plants installed by China under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project in Pakistan.
Zhao Lijian was briefing a group of local journalists on China’s major economic and social achievements in the last five years and the country’s future road-map in the context of the recently concluded 19th National Congress of Communist Party of China (CPC).
Talking to journalists, he brushed aside the impression that the coal-fired power generation plants were not eco-friendly. “These are just rumours and have no reality as the Chinese technology is eco-friendly,” he said.
“China, United States of America, India and other European countries are also using coal to generate power. Had it been eco-unfriendly, they would not have used it,” he added.
He said that coal-based power projects could be completed within a short period of time while other sources like hydropower and wind power were time-consuming projects.
Five power projects have been completed so far under CPEC, while another power plant would start producing electricity this month, he said, adding that load shedding in Pakistan would end soon.
Responding to a question, the envoy said, “China and Pakistan are enjoying cordial relations and cooperation in diverse fields. We are giving great importance to development in Pakistan.”
The envoy said that CPEC had great significance for Pakistan, China and the whole region, adding that all political parties in Pakistan were unanimous in the matter and wanted to see successful completion and execution of the project.
To another question relating to India’s criticism on CPEC and the Road and Belt Initiative (RBI), he said that India itself was part of Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar (BCIM) Corridor. He said that progress on the projects was underway.
He said that Chinese President Xi Jinping, in his report to the national congress, reviewed the historic achievements made in China’s development over the past five years and pointed out that historical changes have taken place in China and that Chinese socialism had entered a new era.
He informed that “Xi Jinping’s thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era” had been included in the party’s constitution. He said that since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has made remarkable achievements in its reforms and modernization drive. The 19th national congress has come out with highly successful results in deciding a future course of action for achieving its economic goals and alleviating poverty, he added.
About poverty alleviation, the envoy said that China was committed to completely alleviate poverty from the country by the year 2020. He said that the reduction of poverty in China was not only good for its own development but would also contribute greatly to the development of the world.
He said according to the annual report on poverty reduction of China in 2016, the number of poor had decreased by 790 million from 1981 to 2012 accounting for 71.82 percent of the reduction in global poverty.
