Pakistani Ambassador to China: I hope that China will invest in Pakistan in the form of capital, technology and management experience

"We urgently need to get investment in big infrastructure and energy." Pakistani Ambassador to China Kahlil ·Hashmi said in a recent interview with The Paper (www.thepaper.cn), "We will pay more attention to renewable energy, hydropower, solar and wind energy, and gradually replace fossil fuel-based energy production with renewable energy and new energy." ”

On July 31, Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng met with Pakistani Ambassador to China Karil · Hashmi and his party. While in Shanghai, Hashmi also met with representatives of SAIC, a long-standing partner of Pakistan in the automotive industry. Hashmi introduced the preferential policies for Pakistan's new energy vehicle industry. In addition, Hashmi met with representatives from more than 70 companies in key areas such as information technology, solar panels, e-commerce, chips, and agriculture and food.

In June this year, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Shehbaz paid an official visit to China. During the visit, the two sides reached the China-Pakistan Joint Statement, which clearly stated that they will build on the achievements of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to jointly build growth corridors, livelihood corridors, innovation corridors, green corridors and open corridors, and create an "upgraded version" of the corridor.

Talking about the "upgrade" of the CPEC, Hashmi told The Paper that the "upgrade" means that Pakistan and China will expand cooperation in the manufacturing and industrial fields. We hope that China will invest in Pakistan in the form of capital, technology and management experience.

During the meeting with Gong Zheng, Hashmi said that Pakistan and China have close cooperation in many fields, and there is a broader space for cooperation in the future, and Shanghai enterprises are welcome to invest in Pakistan.

In the interview, Hashmi also talked about Pakistan's expectations for an "upgraded" CPEC and how to continue the "hardcore" friendship between China and Pakistan among young people from the two countries.

The following is a transcript of the interview.

Pakistani Ambassador to China Karil · Hashmi and The Paper reporter Yang Wenqin

The "upgraded" China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has written a new chapter in the friendship between the two countries

The Paper: China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and has become a benchmark for China-Pakistan relations. Over the past decade, CPEC has been a great success. What are the highlights and new growth points of CPEC? In addition, what key areas do you think the two countries will strengthen their ties and cooperation in the coming period?

Khalil · Hashmi: We have completed the first decade of CPEC. As we all know, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a landmark project between China and Pakistan and one of the most successful projects.

The CPEC has helped Pakistan build a solid economic foundation, boost economic growth, create jobs, and complete nearly 50 projects worth more than $25 billion in infrastructure, ports, highways, airports, as well as power, energy plants (whether thermal or hydro), and renewable energy. Helped Pakistan overcome energy shortages by adding nearly 800 kilometers of highways, more than 8,000 megawatts of electricity and 800 kilometers of national core transmission grid. Through these lines, Pakistan is able to transmit more than 4,000 megawatts of electricity, or 800 kilometers of fiber optic cables.

Looking ahead, the cooperation between the two countries will remain solid in the political, diplomatic, economic and trade fields. As Pakistan grows, there is an urgent need for investment in large-scale infrastructure and energy, which are the lifeblood of all industries and a major growth driver.

In addition, Pakistan is very willing to work with China in the industrial field, and we have identified 13 priority export-oriented industrial sectors to encourage Chinese leading enterprises in related fields to invest in Pakistan. The aim is to increase Pakistan's production capacity, export surplus, and thus export capacity, with a focus on agriculture, mining, steel industry, petrochemical industry, etc.

Pakistan will work closely with China under the framework of the five major corridors: the Growth Corridor, the People's Livelihood Corridor, the Innovation Corridor, the Green Corridor and the Open Corridor. The construction of these five corridors is in line with Pakistan's "5Es" development framework based on export, digital, environment, energy and equitable empowerment. We are very much looking forward to writing another glorious chapter in our friendship with China.

The Paper: In June this year, Prime Minister Shehbaz was invited to visit China. During the visit, China and Pakistan issued a joint statement stating that they would build on the achievements of the CPEC and build on the "upgraded version" of the CPEC. What do you think of the "upgraded" CPEC and what is the Pakistani government's expectation for the new phase of the corridor?

Karil · Hashmi: First of all, "upgrading" means building on what has already been achieved. We have already succeeded in infrastructure and energy projects, and we hope to continue to deepen the construction of the corridor. For example, the energy transition is a topic of concern to the international community. We will pay more attention to renewable energy, hydropower, solar and wind power, and gradually replace fossil fuel-based energy production with renewable energy and new energy sources. In the future, the long-term development of the country will require green infrastructure as well as sustainable infrastructure.

In addition to this, the "upgrade" also means that Pakistan and China will expand their cooperation in the manufacturing and industrial sectors. Pakistan has a comparative advantage in some areas. In the textile, leather, footwear, pharmaceutical and other industries, we hope that China will invest in Pakistan in the form of capital, technology and management experience. This is the sector we plan to promote economic growth by strengthening our export capacity and bring prosperity to the people of Pakistan.

Pakistan is a developing country with a large population of 241 million, making it the fifth most populous country in the world. This means that Pakistan needs to develop its economy rapidly to create a large number of jobs. In order to achieve economic growth, practical measures must be taken. After laying the foundations for economic growth (i.e. energy and infrastructure projects), we now need to turn to the industrial sector and focus more on manufacturing.

Pakistan firmly supports the Global Security Initiative

The Paper: Today's world is not peaceful, the Ukraine crisis and the Palestinian-Israeli issue have brought harm to ordinary people, and some foreign forces are constantly trying to provoke China-Pakistan relations. On international hotspot issues, China and Pakistan stand firmly together and raise the voice of peace. How do you see the collaboration between China and Pakistan on these major issues?

Karil · Hashmi: First of all, the foundation of friendship and partnership between Pakistan and China is very strong, and there is a high level of mutual trust. It's a rock-solid relationship that is here to stay. We are in a very complex and volatile international and regional environment. On hotspot issues and the international situation, Pakistan and China share a common position. This year, China held a conference to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence are a very solid framework, and Pakistan firmly supports them.

Aware of the primacy of international law and out of respect for it, we will faithfully abide by the principles of international law and oppose unilateralism. This is the common position of Pakistan and China at the international normative and legal level.

President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Security Initiative, which is not only based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, but also firmly upholds the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, international law and basic norms governing international relations. Pakistan is unwavering in its support for this initiative. Pakistan has worked closely with China on hotspot issues in the past, at present and in the future, and will work together to resolve hotspot issues through dialogue and peaceful means, rather than exacerbating tensions.

Use music, fashion and food to continue the "hardcore" camaraderie among young people

The Paper: You are an experienced diplomat who has made important contributions to Pakistan's diplomatic relations with other countries. You served as Counsellor at the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing from 2008 to 2010. When you came to China again 15 years later in your new capacity (editor's note: Karil · Hashmi took office as Pakistan's ambassador to China on 11 November 2023), what changes in China impressed you?

Karil · Hashmi: There are three areas of change, in the fields of science and technology, society, and economics. When I first came to China, I witnessed a lot of investment in technology research and development. Fifteen years later, when I returned to China, I saw the fruits of those investments.

Advances in emerging technologies, such as new energy vehicles, solar panels, lithium-ion batteries, artificial intelligence and space technology, and even mobile apps like WeChat, demonstrate China's near-total digitalization of the economy and finance. I've also seen a boom in cross-border e-commerce. China has made significant progress in many areas of science and technology, which is a big change.

On the economic and social front, China's GDP growth is not only reflected in the change in numbers, but also in the improvement of people's lives, and in all aspects of social development, such as housing, education, easy public transportation and infrastructure. Similarly, food safety and food security are important. I was also impressed by the drastic improvement in air quality. I think China has had a very comprehensive and balanced development over the past 15 years.

The Paper: As a young journalist, I am very honored to have the opportunity to interview you. In your opinion, how can the "ironcore" friendship between China and Pakistan continue to be passed on to the next generation of young people in the two countries? What are your messages and expectations for the young people of the two countries?

Karil · Hashmi: Every generation has unique qualities. The young people of the two countries should have their own way of interacting. I would suggest that the younger generation in China and Pakistan could focus on three new areas. In my opinion, art and culture are places where young people from both countries should connect with each other. More specifically, we should have more artistic exchanges, such as between musicians, which can start by organizing events for artists from both countries.

Secondly, I think fashion is an area that the younger generation is very passionate about. This will be another medium that can promote deeper exchanges between young people in both countries. We are working with fashion brands in Pakistan to promote clothing that blends Chinese and Pakistani elements to promote friendship between the two countries.

In addition, tourism is a very good way to communicate people-to-people exchanges. Both Pakistan and China have rich cultural heritages. I encourage young people from both countries to experience different cultures in each other's countries. Pakistan has started to promote further cooperation between the tourism industry of the two countries. In June this year, we held a two-week Pakistani Food Week in Chengdu and plan to hold it annually in the future. It will be a medium of communication between the younger generations of the two countries around art and culture, and more specifically, music, fashion and food.