Prime Minister Imran Khan has urged for the creation of a tourism corridor between member countries of the Belt and Road Initiative in order to promote regional connectivity.
He suggested that members of the BRI should establish a BRI Tourism Corridor for cultural and tourism exchanges, develop programmes for improving the skills of labour from labour-surplus countries to assist the labour-deficient countries and create multi-lingual digital platforms for connecting producers, consumers, and skilled job-seekers.
He added that to further boost connectivity and benefits under the Belt Road Initiative’s umbrella digital connectivity amongst member countries is important.
The other areas stressed by the premier to strengthen the ties formed through the BRI included mobility of labour, cultivation of cultural links and connectivity through knowledge and innovation. Imran said the connectivity of Gwadar Port with China’s Xinjiang region will “provide a shorter route for China’s imports compared to the South China Sea, reduce the cost for Chinese companies, and develop western China as well”.
The five-point action plan proposed by the prime minister included joint efforts for mitigating climate change, establishing a BRI tourism corridor for promoting people-to-people contacts and inter-cultural understanding, setting up an office of anti-corruption cooperation, creating a poverty alleviation fund, and further liberalising trade and investment flows by encouraging private sector and businesses to collaborate in projects.
The second Belt and Road Forum was a very important international event of this year in which Prime Minister Imran was among the 37 heads of state and government who participated. It is a platform for BRI member countries to come together to increase economic cooperation. BRI has received overwhelming support across the globe as many as 122 states and 49 international organisations are part of Chinese BRI.
Prime Minister Imran Khan presented good suggestions during his speech at inaugural session and while addressing leader’s round table session. Pakistan has great potential in tourism sector and it can strongly contribute to the economy. Pakistan should enhance its focus on tourism under CPEC. Climate change is very important issue of the age and it needs immediate and tangible measure for the resolution. At the global level poverty is increasing particularly in developing countries because of unequal distribution of resources. China’s BRI can be a good solution to the problems which are being created due to unfair global system. It is believed that cooperation under BRI will provide benefits to the world particularly to its member countries. It will contribute well for fair, equitable and inclusive global system
