BEIJING (AP) — Beijing is willing to work with Islamabad to build an improved version of an economic corridor linking the two countries, the Chinese leader Xi Jinping He said this on Friday during his visit to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Sharif vowed to guarantee the safety of Chinese workers in Pakistan, according to a report on their meeting posted online by state broadcaster CCTV. The report said Sharif expressed condolences for the March deaths of five Chinese engineers in a suicide bombing in Pakistan. They were working on a dam project in the South Asian country.
The Pakistani leader will make his first trip to China since his election in March near the end of a five-day visit. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor involves building and improving road and rail systems to connect western China’s Xinjiang region with Pakistan’s Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea. It is part of Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative to increase trade by building infrastructure around the world.
Xi said he hopes Pakistan will guarantee the safety of Chinese personnel and projects, CCTV reported.
Earlier in the day, Xi met with Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, who expressed hope that many Chinese companies would participate in a Brazilian government infrastructure program that includes railway, energy, port and airport projects.
Xi said China-Brazil ties are a model to promote solidarity and cooperation among emerging economies. The Chinese leader has sought to deepen ties with Brazil, Russia and several other countries to counter US dominance in international affairs.
