The Truth: Wen's Visit to Pakistan

[ajtr]

..........edited...............

 

[SMC]

Hell No!

Sometimes they'll hear $20bn

Sometimes $30bn

Sometimes $35bn

Sometimes $50bn...

And that is something no one has answered yet.

so $30 billion or 45 billion, who cares? Either of them is a heck lot.

What point are you trying to make exactly?

 

[ajtr]

China, Pakistan to jointly build splendid future: People’s Daily​

BEIJING: The most salient features of Premier Wen’s just-ended trip to Pakistan include more strong economic elements that have been injected into the bilateral relations, especially the post-disaster pragmatic cooperation cited as the most urgent mission, and the enhanced, resolute support China will render to Pakistan in the latter’s pursuit of sustainable development, reports People’s Daily.

During the visit, China and Pakistan signed 13 trade and commercial agreement worth about 20 billion US dollars. And the Chinese side will continue to support the Pakistan’s “victims’ compensation scheme” to provide 10 million US dollars in cash, for a total of 400 million dollars of preferential loans or preferential export buyer’s credit, the On-line edition of the paper said.

Premier Wen also said China is ready to promote the construction of the Sino-Pakistani free trade area in an all-round way, and to send a trade and investment delegation to Pakistan for purchases purpose, so as to raise the bilateral trade volume to top the 10 billion dollars mark as early as possible.

In addition, the two sides agreed to establish an annual meeting mechanism between the leaders of China and Pakistan, and Foreign Ministers’ regular dialogue mechanism, to further “customize” the high-level political consultations between the two countries.

During his visit, Premier Wen met with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and the two leaders agreed to boost the traditional China-Pakistan friendship. Wen said China values its time-tested, all-weather friendship with Pakistan and hopes to expand bilateral cooperation.

In his address to the China-Pakistan Business Cooperation Summit in Islamabad, Wen said the deals reflected the huge potential for expanding bilateral economic and trade cooperation. A major deal is aimed at developing wind and solar power; another one is on remote sensing satellite between the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission and the China Great Wall Industry Corporation.

Hours before concluding his trip, Premier Wen addressed a joint session of Pakistan’s parliament under the theme of “Shaping the Future Together Through Thick and Thin,” and his genuine speech were repeatedly interrupted by thunderous applauses.

In spite of vicissitudes in the world setup following the fifties of the 20th century, the Chinese government has always attached great importance to its relations with Pakistan, and so the Sino-Pakistani relationship has maintained a sound momentum.

For a very long period of time, bilateral ties between China and Pakistan have enjoyed the support of two major pillars in the political and military realms. But bilateral economic relations have far lagged behind nevertheless.

Since the start of the 21st century, however, economic factors in bilateral relationship have been on steady rise. In recent years, Pakistan has become China’s largest investment destination and second biggest trade partner in South Asia as well as the first to recognize China’s market economic status, and the first to set up the first joint Sino-Pakistan venture overseas; and the first successful economic zone (SEZ) “Haier Industrial Park” has also settled in Pakistan.

But to date, the two Asian economies with a total population of an approximately 1.5 billion very much want to take their bilateral trade to 10 billion dollar mark. To study the causes involved, the lack of hematopoietic capacity, or a deficiency of capital, is a major obstacle in the way of economic growth in Pakistan and, moreover, the catastrophic flooding in summer further undermined the very foundation for the nation’s economic growth.

The United Nations estimated that the disastrous floods at least caused Pakistan an economic loss of around 20 billion dollars, an equivalent to over 12 per cent of its GDP.

Meanwhile, World Food Program (WFP) officials has said that as many as 21 million people in Pakistan have been affected by the nation’s worst flooding in 80 years, and six million people, or half of the flood victims, desperately need emergency aid; Pakistan is currently suffering from an unprecedented food crisis. And there is a growing view, in the Pakistan Planning commission, that the nation’s rehabilitation and reconstruction will likely exceed 30 billion dollars in the next five years.

One indisputable fact is that Sino-Pakistani bilateral ties will likely suffer from a serious stamina deficiency problem. In view of this reason, Premier Wen has firmly grasped the issue of the post-flood reconstruction with a substantial input in Pakistani economy, and it is of particular great importance, and this will surely inject a powerful impetus into the sustainable, all-round growth of Sino-Pakistani relations.

 

[IceCold]

Why are Indians so worried about the so called truth. Isnt this something between Pakistan and China? Seriously Indians get a life and stop wasting forum bandwidth.

 

[Areesh]

What point are you trying to make exactly?

Trolling and flames. What else?

 

[mehru]

Indians seem to be very fond of Najam Sethi. I admire him too but we don't take his every view as words from Gospel.

My personal favourite is Kuldip Nayar, an Indian writer. A very unbiased person. However he is also giving a reality check. He is more worried about India-China relations than Pak-China which he should be as an Indian. Let's see if you guys agree.

Wen`s India visit

ONE did not have to be an expert on China to anticipate that Prime Minister Wen Jiabao’s visit to India would be a flop and the one to Pakistan a success. The joint statements issued in the two countries say it all.

India refused to follow the ‘one China’ policy which meant that it did not recognise Beijing’s claimed sovereignty over Tibet and Taiwan. This was a departure from New Delhi’s stand in three earlier joint statements. PM Jiabao refused to mention in the joint statement that Kashmir was an integral part of India. He did not do so keeping in mind Pakistan’s sensitivities.

In sharp contrast, Pakistan not only enunciated the ‘one China’ policy but also condemned “any attempt to undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”. Obviously, the swing was directed at India and to reemphasise that China had in Pakistan a “trusted and reliable” friend.

The Chinese prime minister was, however, careful not to say anything on Kashmir in New Delhi as well as in Islamabad. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said in a speech at the banquet in honour of the Chinese premier that the solution of Kashmir would usher in a new era of peace and prosperity in South Asia. It was bait for the Chinese PM, who preferred to stay silent. Even otherwise, Beijing has maintained that it wants India and Pakistan to resolve the question of Kashmir between themselves.

However, China has from last year started issuing stapled visas to people from Jammu and Kashmir. This is a departure from Beijing’s earlier stand.

But it conveys to New Delhi that Beijing regards Kashmir as a disputed territory. The new Chinese approach also reveals that India’s problem could be much larger than the question of stapled visas. It may well be that Beijing has a question mark against India’s claim to sovereignty over Jammu and Kashmir.

Yet, before the visit of the Chinese PM, the word from Beijing was that the stapled visa was an administrative matter, not a political issue. New Delhi did not bring it up until the end when PM Jiabao took the initiative of mentioning it. He did not pursue the subject, despite New Delhi’s desire to do so. After PM Jiabao’s return to Beijing, the Indian embassy said that the matter has been entrusted to officials to sort out.

The point on which the two sides differed strongly was terrorism. India was first keen on China mentioning the 26/11 attack on Mumbai in their joint statement. When PM Jiabao refused, India wanted a reference to the word ‘terrorism’. The Chinese PM did not agree, probably because he was to visit Pakistan a day later. However, he did praise Pakistan for its efforts towards terrorism, countering criticism from many quarters that it is not doing enough. The reference was obviously to India and the US.

India should have known Beijing’s stand when it made it clear on the eve of PM Jiabao’s departure that the Chinese government would play no role in pressuring Pakistan to crack down on terrorist groups operating on its soil. Beijing reiterated its position that cross-border terrorism and Kashmir were issues for India and Pakistan to resolve.

India’s real worry is the nibbling at “its territory” by China. The media has extensively followed a story reported in one of the leading English-language dailies in Delhi. The story said that China had shown the length of the border with India around 2,000km as against nearly 3,500km it used to mention earlier.

In an interview with the Indian ambassador to China, S. Jaishankar, the Global Times — the official organ of the Chinese Communist Party — asked about reported tensions on the border. In response Mr Jaishankar said: “The reality contradicts any alarmist depiction of the situation on the border, whether in India or in China. We have a long common border of 3,488km.” The editors added in parenthesis. “There is no settled length of the common border. The Chinese government often refers to the border length as being about 2,000 kms.”

Probably, China has deducted the border along Kashmir and Tibet from the length it had mentioned earlier. This has come when India is already smarting under the Chinese ‘occupation’ of nearly 5,000 square miles of Shakigam Valley in the ‘Azad Kashmir’ ceded by General Mohammed Ayub to Beijing. The general did this in March 1963, less than six months after the India-China war that occurred in the third week of October 1962.

New Delhi’s fear is that Beijing may push itself as a party in the Kashmir problem.

It is apparent that India and Pakistan have grown still more distant. One is going towards America and the other towards China. In fact, both New Delhi and Islamabad may be sucked into the ensuing cold war between the two. America has its own designs in the region as the WikiLeaks disclosures show and China has its own interests.

When will India and Pakistan realise that South Asia is neither for America nor China to boss over? It is for the South Asians who should develop it into a common market as Europe has done, with soft borders and free trade.

India, being a relatively developed country, should ensure that the playing field is made level. There should be more tariffs on Indian goods because they are products of a country which has better economy and faster growth rate. India’s technology should be available to the countries in the region.

Beijing can, however, play a role in persuading New Delhi and Islamabad to hold sustainable dialogues for the resolution of all outstanding issues, including Kashmir. China has done well in entering into deals with India and Pakistan. Strangely the trade between the two countries is only a fraction of their deals with China.

If these deals are to yield fruit in real sense, New Delhi and Islamabad have to develop confidence in each other. This may not be possible if both continue to arm themselves — the presence of weapons indicates the absence of peace.

The writer is a senior journalist based in Delhi.

Wen`s India visit - Kuldip Nayar | Opinion | DAWN.COM

 

[GMSS]

^^
india shud leave china,they are just giving importance to china without any reason.china position is already known.
and no body can change indias position on kashmir etc neither through military nor through diplomatically

 

[Aslan]

Najam Sethi always tell truth about Pakistan. No bluff, just facts.

He is founder of Friday Times and Daily Times. Respected journalist.

Not like other bluffers who only talk but no facts.

 

[applesauce]

India, being a relatively developed country, should ensure that the playing field is made level.

wut?

 

[fallstuff]

Why are Indians so worried about the so called truth. Isnt this something between Pakistan and China? Seriously Indians get a life and stop wasting forum bandwidth.

Actually I was thinking the same thing.



Are these investments from China like a loan ? Or are these friendly and strategic gestures from China ?

P.S I am just curious.

 

[LaBong]

wut?

Relatively developed with respect to Pakistan.

 

[silent hill]

looks like this sethi is fed up with his life and trying to make pakistanis fed up with their life too, much to the joy of bharatis

 

[silent hill]

Relatively developed with respect to Pakistan.

relatively developed, man bharatis always live in their taj mehal, look beyond taj mehal world, there is a sea of poverty with a billion population not like pakistan, even taj mehal was built by those evil invading hindu blood thirsty muslims

 

[LaBong]

Why are Indians so worried about the so called truth. Isnt this something between Pakistan and China? Seriously Indians get a life and stop wasting forum bandwidth.

I guess this is an open forum and members of the forum should be recognized as members first irrespective to their country of origin. Is there any rule that members of Indian origin can't talk of Pakistan related issues that I unheard of?

Why showering the guy with ad hominem when atleast he's backing up his theory with facts, when we, the Indian members, getting literally bombard by all sorts of socom's and hafizz's threads.

 

[The HBS Guy]

relatively developed, man bharatis always live in their taj mehal, look beyond taj mehal world, there is a sea of poverty with a billion population not like pakistan

OK OK! The evil bartis are poor,stinking fellows with 90% (or 95%) of their population living on less than $2 a day.

I hope that I have pandered to your wet dreams for today. Now please let others discuss the topic if you have nothing better to offer.