Imran Khan vows to finish CPEC corridor 'at any cost' amid rising domestic issues

Amid rising coronavirus cases and a crippling economy, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has vowed that his government will complete the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project "at any cost".

The project, which is a USD 60 billion project is being seen as a manifestation of the all-weather friendship between the two Asian countries, Pakistan and China.

Imran Khan believes this project is an important step in the socio-economic development and the "gigantic multi-faceted initiative would guarantee a bright future for the nation", he said in CPEC review meeting.

"The corridor is a manifestation of Pakistan-China friendship and the government will complete it at any cost and bring its fruit to every Pakistani," Khan said.

While praising the efforts of the ongoing developments of the project, he urged the officials and workers to increase the productivity of the project.

The comments has come a day after the Chinese Foriegn Minister Wang Yi discussed the developments of the CPEC projects with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi during a phone conversation.

The CPEC will connect Pakistan'sGwadar Port in Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, and is one of the first projects under Pakistan'sBelt and Road Initiative (BRI).

China's BRI has been under the magnifying glass of criticism as experts and country leaders feel that this is a way of China expanding it;s control over foreign lands, and this way China is reelingsmaller countries under mounting Chinese debt after Sri Lanka gave its Hambantota port in a debt swap to China in 2017 on a 99-year lease.