China looking forward to enhance cooperation with Iran through CPEC: Envoy

EghtesadOnline: Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Sun Weidong says China is looking forward to enhance its cooperation with Iran through China Pakistan Economic Corridor project (CPEC).

News ID: ۷۷۰۴۴۸

17 October 2016

In an exclusive interview with IRNA, he said if Iran joins the CPEC it would be win-win cooperation for both China and Iran.

Iran had shown willingness to become part of the CPEC in a meeting between President Hassan Rouhani and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in New York on the sidelines of the latest session of the United Nations General Assembly.

China-Pakistan economic corridor (CPEC) is a mega project between the two countries under which China will invest $46 billion in Pakistan.

The economic corridor is about 3,000 kilometers long consisting of highways, railways and pipelines that will connect China’s Xinjiang province to Pakistan’s Gwadar port. The project is crucial for both countries.

Sun Weidong added that China shares very good relations with Iran and 'we think that Iran can also be a very important country along the Belt and the Road initiative, so we really look forward to enhance our cooperation with Iran.'

“CPEC is a win-win cooperation so we are looking forward to explore the possibilities of cooperation among the all the regional countries,” said the ambassador.

To a question that CPEC could be an energy line from Iran to China in the future he said, 'We can explore such a possibility.'

There are many projects under the CPEC framework that are being implementing or under construction in Pakistan, said the ambassador.

“There are 16 major projects that are under construction and Chinese side has already invested more than 13 billion US dollars,” he added.

The diplomat went on to say that CPEC has created tens of thousands of jobs opportunities in Pakistan, so we can see that CPEC can bring lot of benefits to Pakistani people.