Prof Li says Pakistan and China are closest political, economic allies
Prof says Modi wants to take advantage of US, Japan and Australian stand against China for their self-interest
Li says US and allies poured billions of dollars and in the name of fighting terrorism, but still the country is the largest shelter of terrorists
Pakistan is the closest political, cultural, military and economic ally of China and the all weathers friendship between the two countries is a unique model for other countries to learn.
This was stated by Prof Li Xi Guang, an eminent Chinese scholar and the executive dean of the Tsinghua School of Journalism and the director of the Tsinghua Pakistan Culture and Communication Centre, in an exclusive interview with APP here on Sunday.
“Both the countries, with their cultural corridor, can present a model of our shared tradition, history and values to the entire world,” said Prof Li who led an expedition of 20 students from Kashgar to Islamabad via Gilgit in 2015.
He opined that cultural corridor was more important than the economic corridor and both the countries must work on spiritual and physical aspects during their cooperation. He commented that if a mind was filled with only money, big houses then the greed would grow bigger.
Hence, spirituality was equally important which was essential for the peace of mind. He pointed out that many things were common among the people of two countries. “We are working to introduce a common food acceptable for Muslims and Chinese working along the route,” he said.
“I and my research team are writing a book about the unity of civilisations against the clash of civilisations.” Criticising the Western media for always talking about the clash of the civilisations, he said, actually, it was worried about the unity of Islam and Confucianism.
“The Western media looks at Islam in terms of violence and terrorism by portraying its negative image. But this is not the truth,” he said. Reposing complete confidence into the measures taken by the Pakistan government for the security of Chinese working on various development projects, he said not a single Chinese citizen working in any CPEC project was killed.
He said that the two Chinese citizens killed in Quetta by terrorists last year were working for a South Korean Christian missionary organisation. He remarked that robberies, burglaries, and murders could take place anywhere in the world and pointed out that more Chinese were killed in the US every year than Pakistan. Prof Li also lamented the Indian media for spreading rumours about the security of Chinese citizens, particularly in Balochistan.
Responding to a question regarding progress on the projects being completed under CPEC framework, he expressed his complete satisfaction and said that Pakistan and its people were lucky to have a friend like China.
He, however, said that media needed to highlight the progress on the CPEC projects in a more positive and appropriate way.
While commenting on China’s mediatory role it recently played to resolve different regional conflicts, he said that while addressing Pakistan’s Parliament during his visit in 2014 Chinese President Xi Jinping had suggested using Asian values to find a solution of the Asian problems.
He said that China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan were neighbouring countries and the three Asian countries jointly could find a solution to Afghan issue and bring about lasting peace and stability in the war-torn country. He said that the US troops were in Afghanistan for around 17 years for building the new Afghanistan.
But, Afghanistan has one of the worst illiteracy rate, life expectancy, and unemployment. He said that the US and other 50 countries poured billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of troops into Afghanistan in the name of fighting terrorism, but still the country was the largest shelter of terrorists including IS and Daesh.
On the One Belt and One Road Initiative (OBOR) and its opposition of the CPEC by Indian leadership, he said that the Indian prime minister wanted to enjoy a high opinion poll by using nationalism in the issue of CPEC and Kashmir and also wanted to take advantage of the US, Japan and Australian stand against China for their self-interest.
He advised Indian leadership to stop opposition of the OBOP and become part of the initiative along with China and Pakistan for the social well-being of the people and development of the whole region.
