Pakistan, China ink 13 agreements to cement ties - Summary

Fri, 17 Dec 2010

Islamabad - Pakistan and China on Friday signed 13 agreements on topics ranging from trade and defense to cultural exchanges for increasing multilateral cooperation between the two countries.

The agreements were signed after meetings between Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and Chinese premier Wen Jiabao and their delegations.

"Today we signed 13 agreements and memorandum of understandings to enhance cooperation in defense, trade, banking, agriculture, security, culture, communication, investment and broadcasting," Pakistan's information minister Qamar Zaman Kaira told media.

Kaira said that the two sides had also agreed on an energy cooperation mechanism under which China will fund various energy projects in Pakistan.

"China also announced the provision of 639-million-dollars for the rehabilitation of flood-affected areas," the minister said.

The two sides are also to meet at a business summit on Saturday where it is expected that agreements worth billion of dollars will be reached between over 250 delegates of the Chinese business community and their Pakistani counterparts.

Earlier, Pakistan gave a red-carpet welcome to Wen, who arrived for a three-day visit, the first by a Chinese premier in five years.

Wen arrived from India where the two fast-growing economies put diplomatic differences aside and agreed to aim to nearly double their bilateral trade to 100 billion dollars annually by 2015.

As Wen's plane entered Pakistani airspace, two JF-17 fighter planes, which Pakistan and China produce jointly, welcomed him and escorted him to Islamabad.

A 21-gun salute boomed out as Wen stepped out of the plane before being welcomed by Gilani, several members of his cabinet, and the chiefs of the armed forces.

China is a close ally and significant trade partner of Pakistan. Gilani said on Wednesday that Pakistan hoped its trade with China would double in the next five years to 15 billion dollars.

Officials and businessmen from the two countries were Saturday due to sign various deals worth more than 20 billion dollars, Abdul Basit, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, was quoted as saying by Samaa television.

The Pakistani premier said his country would also request Chinese assistance in making the new deep-sea port of Gawadar operational. The port, in the southern province of Baluchistan, was built by Chinese companies.

The leaders were also expected to discuss the construction of two new nuclear power plants by China. Agreement on one plant is scheduled to be signed during the visit, state television PTV reported.

China has already helped Pakistan to build two nuclear power plants at Chashma in the central province of Punjab. One of these is in operation while the second is near completion.

Nuclear cooperation between the two countries has increased despite US reservations. The United States regards Pakistan's nuclear program as a proliferation risk.

The Chinese premier is also to meet President Asif Ali Zardari, address the national parliament and inaugurate a Pak-China Friendship Centre.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/358713,cement-ties-summary.html.