President Trump has concluded his China state visit. First in nine years.

The visit has thrown open new strategic realities and has changed the world order. China has been accepted as an equal world power. No concrete result has come out. Trump, in desperation, has raised anti-China and visible threats of renewed hostilities in the Gulf. It seems Israeli efforts to pressure Trump have been successful. In renewed hostilities, the importance of CPEC becomes more important and relevant.

Pakistan is the first country to recognize China in 1949 when the Communist Party of China triumphed in the civil war and took power. Pakistan also pioneered opening its airline to China, the first in the world. Pakistan was also responsible for China having a permanent seat in the Security Council instead of the Nationalist China government. Pakistan also arranged a meeting between Henry Kissinger and China’s leadership in 1971, opening the way for US–China rapprochement and relations between the USA and China, changing the global strategic scenario at that time. China has emerged as a strong and powerful country since then. Pakistan was first to settle border issues with China, opening the way for mutual cooperation in infrastructure development and defence cooperation. In both domains, Pakistan and China went ahead unhindered despite extreme pressure from the US and Western countries. Pakistan always balanced this approach between China and the West, bearing all sorts of pressure.

Pakistan shared President Xi’s vision when BRI was announced. CPEC is the flagship project of BRI. It is a matter of great satisfaction that, in spite of all sorts of pressure, sabotage and economic arm-twisting, Pakistan and China went ahead and successfully completed the CPEC Phase One. Phase Two has already commenced, though delayed for various reasons: Pakistan’s internal issues, an extremely volatile geostrategic environment and the continuity of sabotage and subversive activities against Pakistan, not only in the KP and........

© Pakistan Observer