Hyde
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ISLAMABAD (September 05 2009): Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Lou Zhaohui has said that China has already given one billion dollars in two tranche to enhance Pakistan's foreign reserves and improve Pakistan's economy. "Pakistan is the only country in the world that China has ever given such a huge amount on very low interest rate that is due to the nature of bilateral relations", the Chinese envoy said while talking to media here on Friday.
President Asif Ali Zardari and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao are to meet in New York later this month on the sidelines of UN General Assembly, he said, adding that their meeting will focus a wide range of regional and international issues, but the main emphasis would be on bilateral relations.
Zhaohui said that within the last one year President Zardari has twice met both the Chinese premier and the president. The interactions will further deepen the relations between the two countries, he added. He deeply appreciated Pakistan's stance over July 5 incidents in Xinjiang province and said it was the only country in the world to have issued a statement in support of China.
To a question, the ambassador said that Pakistan's religious/political parties also supported China on the issue. Zhaohui said President Zardari during his first official visit to China last October had committed to visit China after every three months and each time he would visit a new province of the country.
"President Zardari has kept his promise and has so far visited his country thrice learning from Chinese model of development and holding interactions with various business leaders, economists and agriculturists," he added.
To a question about the protocol President Zardari was given in China, the ambassador said that no head of state is ever given such a protocol if he is on a working visit to cities other than Beijing. "This is rare. When dignitaries from other countries are there in Chinese provinces, they are received by an official of the Chinese foreign ministry. No one outside Beijing gets protocol which President Zardari receives during his working visits," Zhaohui said.
He said although President Zardari was not on a state visit, but still he was received by vice premier and the foreign minister also met him in Guangzhou. Ambassador Lou Zhaohui also dwelt upon areas of Pakistan-China co-operation and other international and regional issues. He said last year there were 3,000 Chinese engineers working in Pakistan on a number of projects, but this year their number has increased to 10,000 and the total projects they are working on are 120.
Expressing satisfaction over the security that interior ministry is providing to Chinese diplomats and engineers, he said the embassy has a joint task force with Pakistan's interior ministry and have a 24 hours hotline. "A number of foreigners left Pakistan, but we are committed to complete all the projects on which Chinese are working," he said. To a question he said for timely completion of Gawadar Port, China provided $300 million and was interested in its operating rights, which were given to Singapore Port Authority. He said China is also co-operating in Neelum Jhelum power project and in defence field his country has provided JF-17 fighter jets and handed over Frigate-22 to Pak Navy.
The ambassador informed that an MoU between the two countries will be signed next week to launch Pakistan's satellite into space. He said unlike Pakistan, his country has a number of political issues with India including border issue and Dalai Lama. Zhaohui, however, stated that relations with India were improving and recent talks on border issues have been satisfactory and some Indian army officials have also visited China.
but still 1000 times better than taking a loan from IMF
