ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam welcomed China’s participation in the flagship Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Plantation (TBTTP) project and hailed the gift of 7,000 trees plantation to commemorate 70 years of Pak-China friendly ties. The SAPM and Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong kicked off the plantation by plantation a pine tree sapling at the Embassy of China and exchanged views on the green vision of both sides aimed at sustainable growth and environmental conservation. Speaking on the occasion, the SAPM thanked the Chinese envoy and said the COP-26 was an interesting global moot on climate change that could not live up to all expectations. Amin said the announcement of Chinese President Xi Jinping at COP-26 was great as China pledged to not invest in any coal power project abroad.“China should have had an aggressive presence at the COP to project its inspiring story of transition from Coal to renewable eco-friendly solutions. CPEC Green Corridor is also part of Pakistan’s vision along with China,” he underlined. The SAPM highlighted that the US-China pledge on mitigating methane at the end of COP-26 was also well received globally. “The Coal power projects in Pakistan have been demanded by the previous Pakistani government and not the Chinese government rather our present government is interested in hydropower projects,” he added. Amin informed that he had specifically mentioned the aforesaid fact in his country statement at the COP-26 held last month in Glasgow, Scotland to clarify that China did not export its Coal Power Plants to Pakistan rather it requested to get that technology. “The world even at the COP-26 has been making mere statements where China is the only country that is taking practical steps which should be projected at the international level,” Amin mentioned. On the occasion, Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong congratulated the SAPM for his successful participation at COP-26 and informed that China has positive intentions to enhance green partnership for ecological conservation. He said the Chinese Embassy formally joined Prime Minister Imran Khan’s flagship TBTTP on this occasion. Ambassador Rong mentioned that recently the Chinese leadership visited Pakistan and planted trees in Shakarparian national park to express their endorsement for TBTTP. “China also has nuclear, solar, hydro, and wind power plants apart from coal power plants and can contribute to the renewable energy transition,” he added. While highlighting the importance of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project informed that China has diverted 1/3rd of its electricity to CPEC related projects at cheaper rates. “China has experience of turning deserts into forests and green areas like Kubuqi in Gobi Desert and Pakistan should benefit from it,” he suggested.