Zoon Ahmed Khan, a Pakistani researcher at the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) expressed her admiration for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which she lauded as an example of affirmative action answering the urgent needs of nations, especially those in the developing world, to advance their development.
"Over the years, we have seen that countries that needed infrastructures and the basic pretext for national development have been offered significant opportunities through China," she said in an exclusive interview with People's Daily Online. "It is really a vision to think about development that is conducive to our common goals as mankind."
Zoon commended the pivotal role played by BRI in driving Pakistan’s progress and its social and economic development, noting that the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was the "most exciting thing that had happened for Pakistan."
"It is very important to note that it [BRI projects in Pakistan] was about mutually determining what China can do and what Pakistan really needs," she said, noting that the impact of these projects extended to nearly 200 million people in her homeland.
According to Zoon, the collaboration between China and Pakistan under the BRI has brought about transformative projects over the past few years, resulting in substantial improvements in infrastructure and transportation in major cities in Pakistan. This partnership has evolved into a second phase, emphasizing socioeconomic development and impacting ordinary citizens. In Pakistan, critical discussions are underway regarding poverty alleviation, rural revitalization, and the modernization of various sectors, vividly reflecting the far-reaching global impact of the BRI.
During the interview, Zoon expressed her deep admiration for China's unprecedented speed, scale, and scope of development over the last four and a half decades. She reserved particular praise for China's monumental achievement of lifting over 800 million people out of poverty, especially during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. She firmly believes that this accomplishment not only attests to China's success, but also underscores the fundamental values of upholding human dignity.
