Nahraf
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2010
- Messages
- 1,508
- Reaction score
- 0
Zardari’s visit to China to bolster strategic ties
Monday, July 05, 2010
By Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari will leave Tuesday on a six-day official visit to China during which he will hold talks with top Chinese leadership including President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and touch base with provincial political leaders and leaders of corporate sector.
Briefing newsmen, spokesperson for the President Farhatullah Babar said the forthcoming visit will be the fifth to be undertaken by the president since assuming office demonstrating the importance Pakistan attaches to bolster strategic ties with China through enhanced people to people contacts.
Besides holding talks with the president and prime minister of China the president will also meet Chairman of the Chinese Peoples Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Jia Qinglin, receive the Chinese ministers for water resources and agriculture and visit Tsinghuan University to inaugurate an exhibition on Mohenjodaro’s Gandhara Civilization, he said. The presidential entourage however will leave Islamabad Sunday night, a day ahead of the presidential visit.
Members of the entourage include Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar, Petroleum Minister Naveed Qamar, Special Assistant to PM Kamal Majidullah, Minister of State Hina Rabbani Khar, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir, Secretary General to President Salman Faruqui, Secretary Foreign Affairs Salman Bashir, Ambassador at large Khalil Ahmad Khan, Chairman Wapda Shakil Durrani, Chairman NHA Altaf Ahmad, Additional Secretary Foreign Office Khalid Masood and the spokesperson.
During the six-day visit the president will also address the Pakistan-China Economic Cooperation Forum and hold discussion with corporate leaders of energy, construction, mining, petroleum, engineering, shipping, finance and banking sectors and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industries.
The president will also visit pavilions of Pakistan and China at Shanghai Expo showcasing economic and industrial progress of the two countries — described by the president as a ‘demonstration of the soft power of China’, the spokesperson said. A separate meeting with corporate leaders of energy sector has also been lined up to further push Pakistan’s quest for alternate energy particularly wind and solar energy to meet its growing power demands.
To reach out to the Chinese people and step up people to people contacts the president will also have media interactions both in Beijing and Shanghai with about 10 different print and electronic media outlets, Babar said.
Indian official lands in China before Zardari - GlobalTimes
Indian official lands in China before Zardari
By Li Jing
Indian National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon arrived in Beijing on Saturday for talks on issues concerning regional stability, days before Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to China Tuesday.
During Menon's three-day trip, he will meet Chinese Primer Wen Jiabao, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and State Councilor Dai Bingguo, the New Delhi-based Economic Times quoted officials as saying Saturday.
Officials on both sides said that talks would be "broad" and not limited to specific issues.
Topics will focus on utilizing the recent positive momentum to deepen engagement in some fields and make the relationship less vulnerable to certain issues of disagreement, the Hindu Times reported.
However, one specific issue that could draw most interests would be India's concern over Beijing's plan to help Pakistan build two 650-megawatt nuclear plants.
The Times of India speculated Saturday that the Chinese leadership apparently wanted to assess New Delhi's views on this issue before accepting Islamabad's request for help.
The paper said the possible deal between China and Pakistan hasn't gotten the clearance from the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a group of nuclear supplier countries that seeks to contribute to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons through the implementation of guidelines for nuclear exports and nuclear-related exports.
It would be "Menon's task to at least delay Beijing's decision on this matter if not totally stop it," the paper added.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed last week that China-Pakistan civilian nuclear energy cooperation completely complies with their respective obligations of international non-proliferation for peaceful purposes and was subject to the safeguard and supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
"I don't think Menon can stop the Pakistani-Sino nuclear cooperation," an official from Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the Global Times on condition of anonymity. "Menon's visit to Beijing represents India's willingness to improve Indian-Sino ties, which has no connection with Zardari's visit."
Ma Jiali, a researcher at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, pointed out that Menon's record of being the former ambassador to China could help create deeper understanding between the two sides.
Meanwhile, China and Pakistan started their third joint military exercises July 1 in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, aimed at countering the forces of terrorism, extremism and separatism, according to The Times of India.
The drills, running through next Sunday, are also regarded as the latest sign of the two countries' joint effort in fighting the East Turkestan Islamic Movement terrorist group.
Last edited by a moderator:
His reputation may be a factor here ...
