BEIJING—On Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said again that he was determined to make Pakistan a great country and get it back on top by following China’s model of development and putting a lot of effort into making industrial and agricultural success.
“If we follow the Chinese model, I have no doubt that Pakistan will once again be respected among nations, just like our Chinese brothers are respected by both friends and foes.” The prime minister told the 4th Pakistan-China Friendship and Business Reception in Beijing, “We will follow your example, work hard without stopping, sweat and blood, and make Pakistan a great country.”
He told the group of Chinese and Pakistani business leaders that Pakistan would follow the vision of Chinese President Xi Jinping to focus on progress and prosperity by avoiding conflicts. He used the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the Global Development Initiative (GDI), and the Global Security Initiative (GSI) as examples of China’s huge progress and projects.
The prime minister, who is in China for five days on official business, told the people of Pakistan not to give up or be sad, but to rise to the task of catching up to China’s level of progress in a few years or decades.
He said that there was no other friendship like the one between China and Pakistan. It stayed strong through storms, wars, and earthquakes.
PM Shehbaz talked about how China quickly grew to become the second largest economic and military power under President Xi’s leadership. He said that this was only possible through hard work and never-ending efforts.”Everyone in Pakistan will also have to go through this tough process.” “There’s no other way to get respect in the world,” he said.
He said that since China became a country two years after Pakistan, its trade has grown to trillions of dollars, while Pakistan’s exports have stayed around $30 to $40 billion.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said that China has done very well in developing AI and IT. He also talked about the “wonderful” teamwork between the two countries in the space program. For example, Pakistan and China recently worked together to send a satellite to the moon and another to space.
In April, five Chinese workers were killed in Besham, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Prime Minister Shehbaz strongly condemned the attack and sent his deepest condolences to the families of the slain.
He said that the event that shocked everyone in Pakistan was planned by people who were against the friendship between China and Pakistan, the CPEC, and seeing the two countries’ relationships reach their peak.
“I solemnly promise that we will do everything humanly possible to protect the lives of all Chinese citizens in Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, K-P, G-B, and AJK.” He promised, “I want to make a solemn promise that the safety of Chinese citizens will be more important than my own and my children’s.”
