Chinese Envoy Welcomes Opening Of 24/7 Torkham Border; Stresses Mutually Agreed Projects

The Chinese ambassador in Pakistan Yao Jing Wednesday welcomed the opening of 24/7 Torkham border by Pakistani authorities and termed it a good initiative to increase business in the coming days

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Sep, 2019 ) :The Chinese ambassador in Pakistan Yao Jing Wednesday welcomed the opening of 24/7 Torkham border by Pakistani authorities and termed it a good initiative to increase business in the coming days.

He stressed that China want connectivity of the region through mutual agreed projects and non- confrontational strategies. He pointed out that China is looking to complete Peshawar-Karachi motorway section sooner while Peshawar-Kabul motorway section is the next shot, adding embassy is mulling to develop cold storage, customs and hospital facilities at the Torkham.

He was addressing a two-day international conference, "CPEC, BRI and trans-regional integration" at Area Study Centre, University of Peshawar, with a spectacular presence of Central Asian ambassadors with Iranian and Russian federation envoys who vowed to collaborate intellectually for garnering impact of Chinese global projects through-out the region.

The two-day conference involving inaugural session, envoy sessions, and four research paper presentations sessions was sponsored by Chinese embassy Islamabad, CPEC centre of Excellence Islamabad and assisted by Centre for global and Strategic studies, Islamabad.

Speaking during the welcome address, Director Area Study Centre, University of Peshawar Prof Dr Shabbir Ahmad Khan called upon key stakeholders to participate fully in this millennium project of 'open regional integration' of regional countries without any restrictions and imposed set of goals.

He stressed that countries in today's world prosper due to openness, mutual learning and experience. He pledged that his centre will serve as a pivotal point to garner scholastic and intellectual input for projects of 21st century.

President Centre of Global strategic studies Gen (R) Syed Khalid Jafferi stressed that regional integration will take a longer time if the afghan security situation does not develop stable and secure for connectivity routes.

However, he cautioned that routes coming from Xinjiang can bypass it in the longer run.

Director CPEC centre of excellence, Islamabad Liaqat Ali Shah stressed that industrial and trade development is on the offing after major energy and infrastructure are under completion in the CPEC project.

He promoted the idea that CPEC and BRI will boost economies of the region as regional business will have major loin share in the trade that is currently abysmally at 3 % in the region, and could follow EU intra regional trade of 61% .

Director General China Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pakistan Mudassir Tipu emphasized that Peshawar being sister city of Urumqi has an important role to play in BRI and connectivity of Peshawar between western China and Central Asian States.

He quoted Chinese president Xi Jinping from BOAO forum that BRI will"promote inter civilization exchanges to build bridges of friendship for our people, drive human development and safeguard peace of the world".

The Vice Chancellor University of Peshawar Prof. Dr. Muhammad Asif Khan call upon participants that time has arrive has materialize connectivity with China and central asia as these regions are only 40kms away aerially from Himalayas and history to repeat it-self for mutual prosperity and exchange.

He stressed that Area Study centre has to produce a new generation of scholars and students to raise to the expectations of the BRI, CPEC and trans regional integration and expectations.

Hassan Dawood Chairman BOI, KhyberPakhtukhawa that these projects will usher a new era of standards of living for three billion people from China, India, Central Asia, middle east and Northern Africa.

He strived that after government to government contacts it was time to garner business to business contacts.