Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reassured his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang of the timely completion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project and a safe environment for investors.
Sharif assured Li that Pakistan would provide a "completely secure and conducive business environment" for Chinese investors during a phone call between the two leaders on Thursday.
“The two leaders’ discussion was characterized by warmth and cordiality, in keeping with the best traditions of the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership,” a statement issued by the Pakistani government read.
In the call, Sharif also reaffirmed Pakistan's support for China's core interests.
Li assured Sharif that China views Pakistan as a strategic friend and a country whose “stability and economic welfare” are important to the region and to China. He added that China would always stand in solidarity with Pakistan.
The phone call between the two leaders took place amid a spate of terror attacks in Pakistan, particularly in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
In December, there were 49 terror attacks in the country, resulting in the deaths of 56 people, including 32 security personnel.
According to a report from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), militants carried out 376 terror attacks in 2022, resulting in 533 deaths and 832 injured. This marks the highest number of militant attacks in the last five years.
Gwadar has faced significant protests that have threatened the lives of Chinese workers involved in the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
So far, 28 joint projects worth $18.8 billion have been completed, while another $34 billion worth of projects are still underway. One of these projects is the construction of the Main Line-I railway, worth $10 billion, which will connect the port city of Karachi with Peshawar.