BEIJING: China on Monday said that it supported the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in carrying out an objective and professional evaluation of Pakistan’s financial situation and assisting it in dealing with current difficulties.

Addressing a press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Lu Kang said that the relevant measures should not affect normal bilateral cooperation between China and Pakistan.

“As a member of the IMF, China supports this organisation in carrying out an objective evaluation of Pakistan’s financial difficulties and assisting it in dealing with current difficulties and the relevant measures shall not affect the normal bilateral relations between China and Pakistan,” he said.

While rejecting the impression that the loans under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) were the cause of current financial situation of Pakistan, the spokesperson said that the Chinese side had explained many times that the CPEC was undertaken by the two governments under the principle of consultations and contributions for shared benefits.

“All the projects and financing arrangements are made by the two sides on equal consultations,” he added.

Kang said that judging from the debt structure already released by the Pakistani government, the debt incurred from the CPEC accounted for low proportion.  So, it was not the reason for Pakistan’s financial difficulties, he added.

The spokesperson said that the Chinese side would like to work with Pakistan to substantiate and expand the CPEC projects and help Pakistan achieve development on its own strength.

When asked to comment that the IMF would be scrutinizing the Chinese loans to Pakistan before taking any decision, he said that for the quite sometimes, there was a lot of discussion on Pakistan’s debt problems and its financial and economic difficulties.

“I just said, according to the debt structure released by the Pakistani government itself, the debt incurred through the CPEC accounts for a low proportion. The relevant officials have also made it clear recently.”

Kang reiterated that as a member of IMF, China supported this organization in having cooperation with Pakistan and evaluating the situation on the ground objectively and professionally in Pakistan.

“Also, we support the IMF in coping with the current difficulties but these measures shall not affect normal bilateral cooperation between China and Pakistan,” he added.