Photo taken on Nov. 18, 2019 shows a view of the expressway section of the Karakorum Highway (KKH) project phase two in Pakistan. The expressway section of the KKH project phase two inaugurated in Havelian in northwestern Pakistan marks another step forward to complete the early harvest project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).File photo:Xinhua

China firmly supports the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project and is willing to work with Pakistan to expand the scale of cooperation to include agricultural and industrial sectors and others areas that could improve Pakistani people's livelihood, a spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

In a recent interview with the Pakistan Observer newspaper, Pakistan President Arif Alvi stated that Pakistan will emerge as an international geo-strategic economic hub as a result of the multibillion dollar CPEC project.

Lauding the president's comment on the CPEC, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the project is an important pilot program of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and a flagship in China-Pakistan cooperation. 

Zhao said the project has borne concrete fruits in energy, transportation and port development, delivering concrete benefits to the development of Pakistan. 

The spokesperson said China and Pakistan are willing to open the CPEC to a third country on the ground of joint consultation, to achieve greater benefits. He elaborated the example of the Gwadar Port, which is also lauded by President Alvi as "offering excellent connectivity with the Central Asian countries and the rest of the world." 

Since opening its transshipment business in the first half this year, the Port has facilitated the transportation of some 20,000 tons of wheat, sugar, fertilizers to Afghanistan via the CPEC and creating nearly 1,000 local jobs in the process. 

Zhao said that China firmly supports the CPEC development and stands ready to work together with Pakistan to expand areas for cooperation.