BEIJING: The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would go ahead despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, as two countries are committed to the scheduled construction plan, said Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Talking to the Global Times here, Qureshi said, “I do not think it will have an impact on the CPEC in the long run. But in the short run, yes, there could be a slight slowdown. As soon as we are over the hump of dealing with the coronavirus, I think we will be back on track.
“Qureshi’s comments came as President Arif Alvi this week visited China to show solidarity between the two “iron brothers” amid fears over the spread of the novel coronavirus worldwide. The CPEC, a flagship project under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, is a phased mega-project that consists of many projects in different fields including energy and transportation.
Since the projects were launched, speculations from some countries have followed, the latest being that existing projects could be curtailed due to the impact of the virus.
