PCI holds its first non-governmental Belt & Road Conference online

Islamabad: The Pakistan-China Institute (PCI) recently held its first Non-Governmental Online Conference on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which featured participation by the representatives of eight countries who heaped praise on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative – terming it the ‘BRI’s success story’, according to a news report published on July 8.

Read: Tax administration mechanism for China’s Belt and Road initiative introduced

The conference was joined by Pakistan, China, Nepal, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Some of the consensus areas of the conference included:

Read: Work on M-8 to resume on ‘top’ priority: CPEC Chairman

1. The greater need for global cooperation and interdependence in the wake of coronavirus pandemic
2. BRI is a major way forward for regional connectivity – based on the principles of equality and mutual benefit
3. Propaganda of debt trap was rejected as China’s loan comprised of a small percentage
4. Conference rejected demonisation of any country using COVID-19 as an excuse
5. It was made clear that BRI is not a military alliance and it is not directed against either India or any Western country.