Beijing: The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will unite the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China and Pakistan for joint development and prosperity with the goal of building a common community and future for humanity. In an event titled “Dynamics of Xinjiang in Pakistan’s Perspective” in Pakistan, Chinese Embassy in Pakistan Minister Shi Yuanqiang said Xinjiang can play an important role as an autonomous region bordering Pakistan and the center of Belt and Road Cooperation. According to Xinhua, the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the promotion of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
CPEC, the flagship project of China’s proposed BRI, launched in 2013, links Pakistan’s southwestern port of Gwadar with the city of Kashgar in Xinjiang province, and represents energy, transportation and industrial cooperation.
Xi said Xinjiang has changed from a region once plagued by extremism, terrorism and ethnic separatism to a multifaceted development, including agriculture and tourism.
“Xinxiang now has no season for tourism. More than 265 million domestic and foreign tourists are expected in 2023,” Shi said, adding that Xinjiang’s annual cotton production has exceeded 5 million tons, accounting for 91 percent of China’s total.
Senior analyst and writer Sultan Mehmood Hali said the China-Pakistan relationship has taken root and the enduring friendship between the two countries has contributed to peace and stability in the region and the world at large.
“Xinxiang plays a special role in this relationship and is a gateway for two countries with historical and cultural ties,” Hali said, adding that China can promote cooperation between Xinjiang and Pakistan in agriculture, trade, communication and culture.
Waseem Ishaq, director of China Study Area, National University of Modern Languages, Pakistan, said Xinjiang will create new opportunities for Pakistan and China, especially in the fields of trade, industry, tourism, communication and people-to-people exchange, and will. lead to prosperity for both. side
