BEIJING: Pakistan wants to further development work on Gwadar port and will welcome Chinese role in the future, as it is the gateway to the Middle East and Indian Ocean economies, said Ambassador Masood Khan.
"China has already built the Gwadar port. We of course want to develop it further. We will welcome a role by China in the future," said Islamabad envoy to Beijing while talking to correspondents here.
"Though important in itself, development of Gwadar port will not be enough. We need to develop supporting transport (rail, road, air) and communication networks," Khan said. In this regard, Ambassador Khan said China is playing an important role. Naturally, when this network develops and is fully operational from Gwadar to Khunjerab to Urumqi to Beijing to Shanghai, it will give alternative choices to China for its trade with the Middle East and Europe.
This alternative route would be much shorter than the one passing through the Malacca Straits. Khan has said that Pakistan and China's common goal is to see South Asia become a prosperous region.
"Pakistan and China are neighbours, good friends and partners. We also call ourselves good brothers. Our two countries have common interests. Both want peace and stability in the region. Both want this region to prosper," he said. Masood Khan said that China is Pakistan's largest neighbour and added that over the last six decades, Pakistan has maintained steady and strong relations with China "China has given strong support to Pakistan's defense, economic and trade sectors. We are looking for more Chinese investment in Pakistan," he observed.
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