Imran says Islamabad looks towards Beijing as a role model for development, poverty alleviation:
Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that Pakistan enjoys good relationship with both China and the United States and wants to play the same “instrumental role of the 1970s” that had brought Washington and Beijing closer.
In an exclusive interview with Liu Xin of CGTN’s The Point, the prime minister emphasised that his priority in Pakistan was the uplift of 220 million people which was also linked with peace and stability.
“We have a good relationship with the US and also an iron-brother relationship with China. We want to play the role of 1970s, when Pakistan was instrumental in getting the United States and China together,” Imran said.
The prime minister was referring to the historic breakthrough in the Sino-US relations in 1971, which was made possible due to the pivotal role played by Pakistan. “The famous visit of Henry Kissinger [the then US secretary of state] was organised by Pakistan, so we hope to play that [same] role,” Imran said.
When asked if Pakistan could face challenges due to rising tension between China and the US, Imran stressed that the world did not need another cold war between the two powers and expressed his desire that the situation did not escalate to a point, where one had to choose sides.
“The world should not go through the situation where it is divided into two camps and it does not benefit anyone,” Imran said. “I hope that this does not escalate into another cold war where we have to choose sides,” he added.
According to the prime minister, his priority was the uplift of 220 million Pakistanis, which, he added, was linked with peace and stability. “I will get my people out of poverty if we have economic well-being, which comes with stability and peace,” he said. “So, if you have conflicts, the first thing that gets affected is the economy and that’s the last thing we want.”
When asked about the impact of Pakistan-China “all-weather strategic ties” on the region, particularly Afghanistan, Imran replied that there was a consensus between Pakistan and China on how the two sides could cooperate in bringing stability and prosperity.
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