KARACHI: China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority czar Khalid Mansoor has accused the United States of colluding with its archrival India to sabotage the multibillion-dollar project.
Khalid Mansoor, who is also the special assistant to the prime minister (SAPM) on CPEC affairs, made these remarks while addressing a seminar organized by Institute of Business Administration (IBA) in Karachi, Dawn reported on Sunday.
“From the point of view of the emerging geo-strategic situation, one thing is clear: the United States supported by India is inimical to CPEC. It will not let it succeed. That’s where we have to take a position,” the PM’s aide claimed.
He further said that the United States and India continue to “make attempts to manoeuvre Pakistan out of” China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) — a global infrastructure development plan — under which the Chinese government has been investing heavily in about 70 countries.
“There’s no way Pakistan will forgo any of its benefits. It has more than once burnt its fingers in the Western alliance in the past,” he said, adding that their attempts to dilute China’s strategic influence in the region will fail.
Mansoor pointed out that the Western powers view CPEC as a symbol of China’s political ambition. “That’s the reason CPEC is seen suspiciously by both the United States and Europe. They view CEPC more as a move by China to expand its political, strategic and business influence,” he added.
The Special Assistant also said that Pakistan was seeking the expansion of CPEC to Afghanistan and has discussed the possibility of Taliban-led Afghanistan joining the multibillion-dollar economic corridor.
He said there’s been “deep interest” in developing economic connectivity between Afghanistan and Pakistan and with other neighbouring countries, including Iran. “Some European countries have started showing interest in CPEC. Their ambassadors keep on coming,” he said.
He repeatedly referred to fake news and “negative propaganda” about the viability of CPEC and the pace of its progress. “In terms of its scope, Phase II of CPEC is going to be an order of magnitude bigger than Phase I,” he added.
Pakistan is the seventh largest recipient of Chinese overseas development financing with 71 projects worth $27.3 billion currently under way as part of CPEC.
