Bureaucratic red tapism can slow down Pak-China cooperation: Mushahid Hussain

Lahore:  Senator Mushahid Hussain, Chairman Senate Defence Committee, highlighted the various dynamic regional contexts that will define Pak-China relationship while addressing a work shop on “Doing Business with China”, organized by COMSATS Institute and Pakistan Federation of Chambers of Commerce in his capacity as Chairman, Pakistan-China Institute.

The Senator, in his keynote speech, said that the shift in the balance of power from East to West with the rise of China as a pillar of strength, stability and security has defined 21^st century as the Asian century. “China has emerged as an economic, political and regional power in the world while Pakistan with its friendship with China could also emerge as a powerful country to be a part of this Asian Century.”

Elucidating his indigenous concept of a “Greater South Asia,” the senator proclaimed that Pak-China economic corridor would play a crucial role in emergence of new regionalism in South Asia. This South Asia, he explained, would include China, Iran, Afghanistan and stretch all the way to Myanmar and will be knit together by cooperation in energy and economy.

The chairman stated the vision enunciated by the new leadership in China has immense bearing on the region.  The Chinese leadership, he said, envisions sharing prosperity, peaceful development and security in the region, particularly its neighbours “Pak-China Economic Corridor, Central Asia Economic Belt and Kunming-Yangon- Chittagong railway are a part of that vision of President Xi Jinping.”

He said that there are infinite opportunities for Pakistan’s entrepreneurs and businessmen to reap the fruits of such changing regional contexts. Citing the examples of Thar Coal and Nandipur Power Projects, he cautioned that Pakistan must address certain key issues to facilitate a greater Pak-China cooperation e.g. red tapism and corruption in bureaucracy and lack of security in the country. He said that there should be a special force for industry and protection of foreign workers. “There are currently 13, 000 Chinese workers in Pakistan whose security is of great concern.”

The chairman ended on a lighter note by saying that Pak-China friendship is the only issue in Pakistan that has an astoundingly unanimous consensus in Pakistan, be it among political parties, leaders, businessmen or academia.