ISLAMABAD, Dec. 31 (China Economic Net) – China and Pakistan look forward to taking the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to new heights in 2020, said Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing at the Sangam Club Gala 2019 organized here by the Chinese Embassy on Monday.

The ambassador said the two countries had set new targets for the new year.

“China and Pakistan will work on new projects. These include agriculture, education and the health sector. There will be infrastructure building as we get into the new phase of the CPEC,” the envoy said.

“We aim to multiply the defense and trade relations. We will alleviate poverty. China is ready to help Pakistan in the social sector development,” the ambassador said.

The envoy said the Chinese people had been strived to develop its economy and had lifted 700 million people out of poverty, since the past 40 years of “reform & opening up”. China hopes to bring a similar change for the well-being of the Pakistani people via CPEC.

He added that Pak-China relations are now in a new stage of enhanced cooperation with CPEC entering a higher level of development.

He said there is a need to counter negative propaganda against CPEC emanating from vested interests, in which the media will play a substantial role.

He said CPEC had made remarkable achievements. CPEC had revived Gwadar Port and the Thar Coal Mining project, resolved the chronic energy crisis, built the Western Route which shortened the journey from Quetta to Gwadar from 2 days to mere 8 hours, and empowered women of remote places like Thar to play a substantial role in the development projects.

Commercial Counsellor, Chinese Embassy Wang Zhihua said Pakistan and China had great relationship and industrial cooperation was top priority in year 2020.

People experience Chinese culture at the Sangam Club Gala 2019 organized by the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad on Dec. 30, 2019. [Photo by Pervaiz Mughal]

At the Sangam Club Gala, there are a number of cultural performances, including a martial art display by Pakistani students. A collaborative musical band that had both Chinese and Pakistani members performed much to the appreciation of the audience.