Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan bats for greater unity of BRI nations

Beijing: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday called for greater cooperation among the China-backed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) member countries to promote tourism and combat climate change, corruption and poverty.

Pakistan will partner with all those who share the vision for a peaceful and prosperous world, he said while speaking at the 2nd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) here.

Khan said that the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is entering the next phase after substantial progress. China is holding the BRF, which provides a platform to countries participating in the BRI, from April 25 to 27 here.

The BRI is a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes. The forum is being attended by 36 heads of states and governments besides officials from 150 countries and international organisations. Prime Minister Khan said the BRI, which raised concerns of debt trap, offered a model of collaboration, partnership, connectivity and shared prosperity.

India and the US skipped the BRF. India has protested over the $60 billion CPEC which is being laid through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. CPEC is officially regarded as a flagship project of the China's trillion dollar BRI.

The US has termed the BRI as promoting predatory financing leading to heavy debt among smaller countries.