Musharraf pushes China to build IPC oil, gas pipelines

[Neo]

Musharraf pushes China to build IPC oil, gas pipelines​

* President vows security for Olympic Torch relay
* Seeks Chinese and Russian help on stability in Afghanistan​

BEIJING: President Pervez Musharraf said on Monday that he was lobbying Beijing to build oil and gas pipelines linking Pakistan with western China, as the two longtime allies expand commercial ties.

China is sharply increasing oil and gas imports to fuel its booming economy, and Musharraf said he hoped it would see Pakistan as an “energy and trade corridor” to the Middle East.

“Pakistan is very much in favour of a pipeline between the Gulf and China through Pakistan, and I have been speaking with your leadership ... about this,” Musharraf told a student audience at Beijing’s Tsinghua University.

“I’m very sure in the future – Inshallah – it will happen,” he said. He acknowledged the challenges of building a pipeline that would have to cross soaring mountain passes up to 15,000 feet high.

“Technical experts thought it might not be possible at such heights,” he said, adding, “But experts say [an] oil and gas pipeline could be pumped upward up to the border, and that the larger distance in China would be down flowing. So technically it’s very feasible.”

Olympic torch: Musharraf condemned protests that have marred the Beijing Olympic torch relay and vowed to maintain security when the flame arrives in Pakistan on Wednesday. “There is no one in Pakistan, not one man, who would like to do anything against the interests of China,” he said.

The relay’s European and US legs were marred last week by protests in London, Paris and San Francisco, directed mainly against China’s ongoing crackdown on violent unrest in Tibet.

Musharraf reiterated his position that Tibet was a part of China and an internal affair that should be handled by Beijing, free of foreign interference.

In an interview with the China Daily on Sunday, Musharraf accused Western leaders and media of politicising the Olympics by criticising China’s human rights record and crackdown in Tibet, CNN reported.

“First of all, we consider Tibet an inalienable part of China ... [If] anyone is harbouring or abetting the separatists, we condemn that,” he said.

“You cannot superimpose the human rights and democracy environment of a Western country onto other countries,” Musharraf said, adding, “That is the error that the West and the Western media makes. This does not work at all and this must stop.”

Afghan stability: Musharraf said he would welcome a Central Asian grouping that includes China and Russia working alongside NATO to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan. “In a joint cooperative effort, if the SCO [Shanghai Co-operation Organisation] can do something, yes indeed it should come forward and co-operate toward the security of Afghanistan ... I’m for it,” the president said.

But, he added, “If the SCO can come along, then we would need to ensure that there is no confrontation with NATO.”

Separately, the Chinese defence minister, Chinese Exim Bank president, China Investment Corporation chairman and the China International Investment Corporation CEO met Musharraf and assured him of China’s support in the ongoing and future ventures in all areas.

Musharraf later arrived in Urumqi on the last leg of his visit to China. agencies/daily times monitor

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Neo]

This is what I've been waiting for.

Ditch India, lets include China for couple of reasons:

-China has means to deliver, i.e. funds, technological know-how, panpower
-Pressure from US and allies will nullified if China comes into the picture.
-China's already has plans to pump $100 billion in oilfields, IPC could be linked.
-It will be a direct boost for Gwadar and Chinese iterests incase the port is utilised to export oil to third parties.