BEIJING, Nov. 13 (INP): Progress driven by CPEC will lift Pakistan’s living standards and  to help Pakistan achieve its poverty alleviation's targets, says a report published in the Global Times on Tuesday.

According to the report, China and Pakistan have broad potential for cooperation in the area of poverty alleviation.

Prime Minister Imran Khan during his recent visit to China has expressed a strong desire to start a mega poverty alleviation campaign soon, even as the South Asian country struggles with financial difficulties.

Some observers may worry that the poverty alleviation package may cause the country's financial situation to deteriorate, but we believe the policy is a good way to help the local economy recover. China and Pakistan have broad potential for cooperation in the area of poverty alleviation.

In recent decades, China performed an economic miracle, lifting 800 million people out of poverty. Khan said recently that Pakistan will learn from China's model for poverty alleviation. We believe that China is ready to share its experience with Pakistan and provide necessary assistance.

Infrastructure construction can be a powerful engine for economic growth and poverty alleviation. The multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) goes beyond a collection of infrastructure projects that are under construction throughout Pakistan. With the new government's poverty alleviation campaign, China and Pakistan will work more closely together to improve infrastructure in the South Asian country.

A remaining question is how to capitalize on business opportunities under the CPEC to create more jobs for low-income people and lift them out of poverty.

China will not be stingy in offering necessary assistance to Pakistani people working for the CPEC-related industries and it will strive to improve the skills of local employees. Those efforts will help Pakistan raise its labor productivity and improve its economic competitiveness.

In its pursuit of poverty alleviation and economic development, China has charted its own path. The route China followed is suitable for many developing countries, including Pakistan. As the South Asian country focuses more on poverty alleviation, China and Pakistan will find more common topics of conversation, which will increase interaction and further strengthen bilateral ties.

The development of the CPEC has become a helping hand for Pakistan to improve the lives of ordinary people, and the poverty alleviation campaign may speed up that process. Some Western media reports claim that China is using the CPEC as a debt trap for Pakistan. The accelerated development of the CPEC will be the best counterattack against distortion.

INP/J/LK