Belt and Road Initiative aims at int’l cooperation, shared development: Chinese official  

• Senator Mushahid says China’s decision to invest in Pakistan a confidence booster 

ISLAMABAD: Communist Party of China’s International Department’s Vice Minister Wang Yajun on Monday said China eyed promotion of international cooperation through One Belt and Road (OBOR) Initiative, in order to build a new platform for international cooperation and shared development.

Briefing journalists on the outcome of the recently concluded 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Wang Yajun said China had pulled its 66 million people out of poverty that had helped to enter a new era with a two-stage goal of national rejuvenation.

“China will focus on building a community of shared future for the mankind, offering new ideas for world development, economic development and anti-corruption for ensuring transparency,” the vice minister said.

He said China will increase assistance to other developing countries, particularly the least developed countries, and will do its part to reduce the north-south development gap. “China will support multilateral trade regimes and work to facilitate the establishment of free trade areas and build an open world economy,” he said.

Espousing China’s commitment to global reforms, he said China favoured democracy in international relations.

“China supports the efforts of other developing countries to increase their representation in the international affairs, and will keep on contributing Chinese wisdom to global governance,” the minister said.

CPC’s ANTI-CORRUPTION DRIVE:

Highlighting the measures to ensure transparency in the country, the Chinese official said the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of China had punished 440 senior level officials of the CPC— also known as “tigers”.

He further said 8,900 city level officials and over 63,000 county level officials were penalised. “A total of 278,000 party members and officials were also taken to the task, besides detention of 3,453 fugitives. Among the top 100 fugitives listed on an Interpol’s red notice, 48 have been arrested so far, he said.

Boasting of China’s global economic success, Yajun said that with decades of hard work, “socialism with Chinese characteristics” has crossed the threshold into a new era.

“This is a new historic juncture in China’s development. This new era will be an era of building on past successes to further advance our cause, and of continuing in a new historical context to strive for the success of socialism with Chinese characteristics,” he said.

STRONG MILITARY:

He said the CPC’s goal of building a strong military in the new era is to build the people’s forces into world-class forces that obey the party’s command, can fight and win, and maintain excellent conduct.

“In the first stage from 2020 to 2035, we will build on the foundation created by the moderately prosperous society with a further 15 years of hard work to see that socialist modernisation is basically realised,” he said.

The communist party official said that in the second stage from 2035 to the middle of the 21st century, China will work hard for a further 15 years and develop China into a “modern socialist country”.

“China will continue to hold high the banner of peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit and uphold its fundamental foreign policy goal of preserving world peace and promoting common development,” Yajun claimed.

China remains firm in its commitment to strengthening friendship and cooperation with other countries on the basis of the ‘Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence’.

“We call on the people of all countries to work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind, to build an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity,” he concluded.

Addressing on the occasion, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed said China’s decision to invest in Pakistan was a confidence booster for the developing country.

“This is a unique achievement in the human history. China’s political system guarantees stability, continuity and smooth transition. China has also vowed to invest in scientific innovation, environment-friendly measures, peaceful coexistence and good neighbourly relations,” he claimed.

Deputy Chairman Senate Abdul Ghafoor Haidery also spoke on the occasion.

China’s ambassador-designate Yao Jing said that Yajun was a career diplomat who was working hard to further party-to-party relations between the CPC and other political parties of the world.

He said that 19th National Congress of the CPC had opened a new vista of global and regional cooperation.