Pakistani PM hails Sino-Pakistan Economic Corridor as "inspiring" for South-South cooperation

Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday lauded China's role in promoting peace and prosperity in Afghanistan and the region.

Sharif also hailed the China-Pakistan Economic Economic Corridor as an "inspiring model of South-South cooperation that should be emulated," while addressing the annual high-level debate of the UN General Assembly, which opened here Monday.

"Pakistan greatly appreciated China's proactive role in promoting peace and prosperity in Afghanistan and our region," he said. "The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, announced during (Chinese) President Xi Jinping's visit to Pakistan earlier this year will spur regional economic integration and bring prosperity to the entire region and beyond."

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor aims to create a 3,000-kilometer economic corridor, a planned network of roads, railways and energy infrastructure, between the ports of Gwadar in Pakistan and Kashgar in Xinjiang, a Chinese region bordering Pakistan, so as to help lift Pakistan out of its economic slumber and boost growth for Chinese economy.

The latest efforts took place last week at the first China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Forum in Xinjiang, with the two countries signing 20 cooperation agreements worth 10.35 billion yuan (about 1.6 billion U.S. dollars).

Meanwhile, the prime minister said, "We welcome China's vision of 'One Belt, One Road'."

The Belt and Road initiative was first introduced by President Xi during his visit to Kazakhstan in September 2013. Its routes run through the continents of Asia, Europe and Africa, connecting the vibrant East Asia economic circle at one end and developed European economic circle at the other. Endit