Chinese embassy rejects Alice Wells' 'negative' remarks Internationally recognized Chinese companies working on CPEC.

Islamabad -- A spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in Pakistan on Wednesday took strong exception to a negative statement by the US Secretary of State Alice Wells with regard to China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and said it was nothing but just denying the basic facts and spreading rumors.

'There is no truth whatsoever in her reported allegations that there was no transparency in CPEC projects, and that Pakistan's debt burden was growing due to the Chinese financing.

Alice in her statement had alleged cost escalation in railways ML-1 upgrade project, and said the Chinese companies joining CPEC were blacklisted by the World Bank.

When asked to comment on her statement, a spokesperson of the Chinese embassy said: 'We noted that during her recent visit to Pakistan, Ms Alice Wells Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs of the US State Department, made negative comments on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor again. The comments hold nothing new, but the same cliche in her speech in November 2019, which has been repeatedly rejected by China and Pakistan. However the US side still ignores the facts and is obsessed with the story it made for the CPEC.

We would be more than glad to see the US develop its relationship with Pakistan, but we strongly oppose the US interferes into China-Pakistan relations and the CPEC, said the Chinese spokesperson adding, although one can never wake up a person who is pretending to be asleep, we have to make our position clear and reject the negative propaganda by the US.

'We must not let the truth be distorted and the lies run wild,' the spokesperson said

In CPEC projects, China and Pakistan have been firmly committed to the principles of mutual consultation and cooperation for shared benefits, the spokesperson further said. We put Pakistani people's interests first. Major progress has been achieved in the past 5 years, with 32 projects achieving early harvests.

It shows that the CPEC is playing an important role in boosting Pakistan's socioeconomic development and improving people's livelihood. Whether the CPEC works, the answer should be given by the Pakistani people rather than the US.

Under the CPEC, during its planning or implementation, every project is equally discussed, carefully studied and jointly implemented by both China and Pakistan. The Chinese government always requests the Chinese companies to operate according to local laws and regulations.

All Chinese companies joining...