ISLAMABAD, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- China has proved that it is a great rising country of the world by lifting over 800 million people out of poverty in four decades, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said.

The prime minister made the remark while addressing the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project, a multi-billion-dollar environment-friendly residential settlement, in capital city Lahore of the country's east Punjab province.

Khan said that China has set an example for the rest of the world in terms of poverty alleviation, and now the whole world is impressed by the great economic progress of China.

Briefing about the project, he said that besides giving a great investment opportunity to the construction sector, it will also provide affordable housing for the poor, a step forward to his vision of lifting the underprivileged class out of poverty.

Talking about the environment-friendly aspect of the project located at the bank of Ravi River, he said that the model city to be built under the project will have six million trees and they will establish a wastewater treatment plant in it to treat the sewerage water before releasing it into the river.

Khan said that local and foreign investors have shown interest in the mega project, and directed the provincial government to speed up the execution of the project, assuring the federal government's full support in this regard.

According to Pakistan's ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the project will cover an area of 40,000 hectares, with 1.8 million housing units besides separate knowledge, sports, innovation, health and commercial settlements.