Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, who arrived in Beijing
yesterday, is expected to sign more than 20 agreements and
memorandums of understanding in the technology, education, banking,
infrastructure and investment sectors during his six-day stay.
Aziz is on his second visit to China in three years at the
invitation of Primer Wen Jiabao. He will visit Chengdu, capital of
Southwest China's Sichuan Province, and Haikou, capital of South
China's Hainan Province, during his stay. In Haikou,
he will attend the annual Bo'ao Forum for Asia on Saturday.
Describing Sino-Pakistani relationship as "deeper than the
deepest ocean, higher than the highest mountain," Aziz said
Pakistan is very proud of its relationship with China. The two
countries' ties are "based on principle, shared values and the
desire to work together for peace and prosperity."
Fu Xiaoqiang, assistant researcher with the China Institute of
Contemporary International Relations, said: "The two countries'
ties are built on understanding and support for each other on many
international issues for more than half a century."
Some of the diplomatic activities have proved to be the turning
points in the development of both the countries. Pakistan played a
key role in helping China regain the UN membership, and get a
permanent seat in the Security Council in the 1970s. China, on its
part, has always been a close friend of Pakistan, especially during
periods when some countries shunned it because of the volatile
politics of South Asia, Fu said.
Talking about the consolidated bilateral economic cooperation,
Aziz cited the example of the economic zone dedicated to Chinese
investors, on which an agreement was signed during President Hu
Jintao's visit to Pakistan in November. The bilateral trade volume
last year was about US$5.1 billion.
"It is not a small amount, but compared to the close ties
between the two countries, it's nothing," Fu said.
Aziz hopes Chinese investors would use Pakistan as a hub for
exporting goods to the rest of the world and to meet the domestic
demand of the country, which has a 160-million-strong
population.
China's economic transformation in past two decades has created
history, something that the world says is an "impressive, creative
and positive" development for other countries to follow, Aziz
said.
"Through excellent leadership, determination and hard work of
its people, China has transformed itself into the world's fastest
growing economy and has been expanding its influence around the
world," he said.
As both the economies have been performing strongly --
Pakistan's GDP growth was 6.5 percent and China's 10.7 percent last
year they will find more common grounds in the economic field to
further strengthen their ties and strategic cooperation, Fu
said.
"With many agreements and MoUs inked and many more waiting to be
inked, the next step is to implement them." Their implementation
depends on the coordination of government bodies and enterprises of
both the countries.
"A path is already there. What we need to do is just follow it,"
Fu said, referring to the trust between the two countries paving
the way for business cooperation.
(China Daily April 17, 2007)
