Daily Times

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is visiting Pakistan on his first visit abroad, which demonstrates the significance China attaches to its relations with us. The Chinese Premier will be warmly welcomed in a country considered a second home by the Chinese people.

The China-Pakistan relationship, characterised as all-weather and time-tested, is a very unique and enduring one. It is marked by a high degree of strategic trust, mutual respect, and continues to flourish and deepen despite numerous geo-strategic changes that have occurred in the regional and international order.

The absence of clash of interests and any contentious issues defines the character of Sino-Pakistan friendship. Former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao eloquently characterized this relationship by saying, “China-Pakistan relations have withstood the tests of internationally changing situations and have become a model of living in amity among countries.”

The people of Pakistan always show a sense of gratitude to China as the country that supported Pakistan during the 1965 and 1971 wars. The Chinese people carry memories and appreciate that Pakistan had stood by them in challenging times. Talking to Henry Kissinger in 1973, during one of his frequent visits to Beijing, Premier Zhou Enlai had remarked that the “bridge that helped them (China-US rapprochement of 1971 facilitated by Pakistan) cross (the divide)” must not be forgotten.

As Ambassador I have fondly noted that even four decades later, senior Chinese officials as well as the general public recount those days appreciatively and show deference to Pakistan’s concerns and interests. The warmth I have received in Beijing is unmatched.

In 2005, China and Pakistan signed a major Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, wherein both states committed that “neither party will join any alliance or block which infringes upon the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity” of either nation while simultaneously underscoring that both countries “would not conclude treaties of this nature with any party”.

During the last decade, owing to globalisation, shifts in the regional security architecture, the imperatives of economic growth and development and new nature of emerging threats, China and Pakistan’s relations have entered into a new phase of cooperation.

Pakistan and China are working closely on various important political and security issues. The counter-terrorism mechanism between the two countries is robust. We both are opposed to terrorism, separatism and extremism. Pakistan and China are closely coordinating policies that can help create a stable and peaceful Afghanistan post-2014. Both countries remain determined to pursue the goal of peaceful development of the region. Both uphold the principles of international law and the UN Charter in inter-state relations. The two neighbours believe that contentious political issues and disputes should be resolved through dialogue and peaceful means.

International forums, in particular the UN, provide an arena where cooperation between the two countries is quite visible. We support each other’s positions on a range of issues from disarmament and arms control to human rights to the environment. We both seek a just international economic order.

China supports Pakistan’s participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and Pakistan is pleased to see China join the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) as an observer.

In the past few years, a number of high-level visits have taken place between the two countries, strengthening the foundation of a stable relationship. A number of dialogues, consultative mechanisms, working groups and joint commissions have been established to oversee the areas of trade, economic development, security, energy and infrastructure.

China’s western region, in conformity with China’s policy of ‘xiao kang’, is developing very fast. It serves our mutual interest to connect China’s western region with the markets in South, Central and West Asia as well as the Middle East. Pakistan provides a natural corridor for regional growth by connecting western China to the broader Asian region. China and Pakistan can play a crucial role in reinvigorating the old Silk Route, which will qualitatively change the regional economy. Gwadar Port can play an instrumental role in this regard.

Islamabad and Beijing have a long-term framework in the shape of the Pakistan-China Economic and Trade Development Programme, with specific projects and goals to be implemented in the next five years. Furthermore, there have been beginnings of private sector partnerships under incentives offered by the Government of Pakistan, especially in the telecommunications, energy, and minerals sectors.

Pakistan-China trade totaled over $ 12 billion in 2012. A major development in bilateral trade was the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) signed in 2003 which was followed by a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in 2006. In the past three years, Pakistani exports to China have almost tripled to $ 3.14 billion. China is currently Pakistan’s largest single country trading partner and Pakistan is China’s second-largest trading partner in South Asia. This puts us firmly on track to achieve the trade target of $ 15 billion in the next few years.

We have been discussing with the Chinese government ways to increase trade, because our actual potential is far higher given the geographical proximity and economic potential both the countries have. We recognize that the trade between Pakistan and China could be made more symmetric by viable and pragmatic policies. In order to sensitize our traders and business community to the advantages accruing from FTA, we are encouraging exchange of business delegations, participation in trade fairs and exhibitions, seminars and workshops.

To solidify trade and economic relations, one area for expansion of trade could be the development of complementary joint manufacturing between the two countries. Investment by China through joint ventures and relocation of industries like textiles offers a win-win proposition.

Pakistan and China signed a Currency Swap Arrangement (worth Yuan 10 billion) in 2011 that has become operational earlier this month. The Industrial and Commercial Bank (ICBC) of China has opened two branches in Pakistan and some Pakistani banks are contemplating to open their subsidiaries in China.

A Pakistan-China Joint Investment Company, supported by China Development Bank and Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance, was launched in 2008. We hope that it will play a useful role in expanding development ties.

In 2011, we also established a Joint Energy Working Group that now coordinates implementation of energy projects, including hydro, thermal, coal fired and alternate energy.

It is worth mentioning that Chinese officials, engineers, bankers, financiers, and corporate leaders have worked in Pakistan since the early 1960s. In 1976, former President Jiang Zemin worked in Pakistan to supervise a project. Chinese business leaders know Pakistan’s economic landscape very well. Likewise, Pakistani officials and professionals of several generations have dealt with their counterparts in China. At present, more than 120 Chinese companies and over 12,000 Chinese nationals are working in Pakistan.

Pakistan has some of the most revered Buddhist sites in its Gandhara region, which has a history of nearly two millennia. We welcome Chinese people to visit those historical sites. Pakistan and China are considering to celebrate 2015 as the ‘Year of Friendly Exchanges’.

People-to-people contact remains crucial in strengthening ties between the two countries. In China, Pakistan Study Centres are housed in four prestigious Chinese universities — Peking, Tsinghua, Sichuan and Fudan. I believe it would be a good idea to establish Pakistan-China centres in key Pakistani universities as well. In Pakistan we are encouraging the trend of learning the Chinese language and culture in Pakistani schools and colleges. This would produce a new generation of Pakistanis equipped with the skills to deal with the rising dragon more productively. To understand each other’s culture better, we are also making efforts to show our TV dramas in our respective countries. We plan to intensify interaction between media personnel, think tanks and academic institutes. The presence of over 8,000 Pakistani students in China and establishment of academic linkages between our key universities is another shining aspect of our growing collaboration.

It is very comforting for me to say that I always found great love and regard for Pakistan in the hearts of Chinese diplomats, its public officials, its key political leaders as well as its people.

Diplomats from other countries have often told me and my colleagues that Pakistan-China friendship is an exemplary one in inter-state relations. We have been often asked what the magic for sustenance of this unique relationship was. And invariably we answer by saying that it is trust, genuine empathy, sense of belonging, and a convergence of views that brings both countries together. This special characteristic of our relationship is beautifully described in these words by the Chinese leadership: “We are truly good neighbours, trusted partners and dear brothers.”

The achievements of the Chinese people in the last three decades are a ‘human miracle’ and a result of the wise policies of the Chinese leadership and hard work of the Chinese people. As an old friend of China, we feel happy over China’s achievements. I am confident that in the years ahead, China will be crowned with more successes and r