China is playing an important role in international infrastructure cooperation, foreign diplomats have said, voicing their hope for further strengthened cooperation between China and their respective countries.

They made the remarks during a tour where they learned about the China Communications Construction Company, a major Chinese company carrying out infrastructure projects overseas in Beijing on Monday.

Moin Ul Haque, the Pakistani ambassador to China, said the CCCC is a "very close partner of Pakistan" which has conducted a number of major projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

The company took part in the construction of Gwadar Port and built a 118-kilometer highway connecting the Pakistani cities of Havelian and Thakot, among other projects in Pakistan.

"In recent years the cooperation between China and Pakistan in terms of connectivity and economic development has taken central stage in our bilateral agenda, and CPEC is the real manifestation of that," Haque said. "Companies like the CCCC are leaders in that respect."

Jaime Adriano FlorCruz, the Philippine ambassador to China, said bilateral cooperation in infrastructure is "very promising".

The Philippines looks forward to more technology and skill transfer from China, and hopes that bilateral infrastructure cooperation will speed up to bring more "tangible projects", such as bridges, highways, ports and housing, FlorCruz said.

The CCCC is constructing a bridge connecting Davao and Samal in Mindanao in Southern Philippines, which the company says will shortens the commuting time between the two cities from half an hour to five minutes.

Jose Francisco Diaz Ulloa, the minister counselor of the embassy of Colombia, said it’s an "important and historical opportunity" for his country to cooperate with China to build the first subway line for the capital city of Bogota and Colombia is "very eager" to continue to work with China to develop more projects.

The diplomats also expressed their expectations that China will pick up its economic growth to boost the recovery of the global economy during the post-pandemic era.

China is closely related with the global supply chain and, through loosening COVID restrictions, China will enjoy "a great boom in economic activities", which will benefit not only the country itself, but also other countries in the region, said Haque, ambassador of Pakistan.

FlorCruz, the Philippine ambassador to China, said "We are looking at China as one of the drivers of economic growth, not just for China, but also for the region and the world."