Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: China and Pakistan would soon sign an agreement aimed at ensuring transparency in the implementation of energy and infrastructure projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is an important part of China’s One Belt One Road Initiative, said Chinese National Bureau of Corruption Prevention Assistant Minister Liu Jianchao.

The most important projects to be completed under the CEPC initiative included Gwadar Port, the second phase of the upgrading project of Karakoram Highway, motorway project between Karachi and Lahore, Thakot Havelian Motorway, Gwadar Port Expressway, Gwadar International Airport and Karachi-Sukkur Motorway.

He said that China and Pakistan will work together to make the CPEC and other bilateral development projects transparent and free of any corruption. The Chinese minister who visited Pakistan to attend Ombudsman Conference said that he also held meetings with National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman and other Pakistani officials and shared Chinese experience against corruption.

Terming the CPEC most important project in Sino-Pak bilateral relations, he said, there was a need to make all possible efforts for its success. Liu Jianchao gave details of the ongoing efforts for making the Chinese society free of corruption. For this, he gave credit to leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, especially Chinese President Xi Jinping

The Chinese minister said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor would be a symbol of good governance, as it would be clean and transparent, adding it was forbidden for any Chinese business company to get itself involved in corruption, while carrying out development projects.

However, both sides would work closely to prevent, detect and control corruption in all the projects, undertaken at their bilateral level, he added. Liu Jianchao who was serving as Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister before assuming his new assignment, said the leadership of both countries attached great importance to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and wanted to make it successful at all costs. This project would contribute a lot to promote peace and development not only in the two countries, but also in the region, he observed.

Liu Jianchao termed corruption a great threat to security, peace and socio-economic development. His country, he said, had adopted a policy of zero tolerance against corruption.

He said that thousands of Chinese found committing corruption had been punished. There were over 150 top government officials who had faced serious punishment for corrupt practices.

He said there were about 600 corrupt Chinese officials who had fled abroad and the government succeeded in bringing them back and punished them under the law.