Pakistan-China Ties: Free Trade Agreement to be Finalized Soon
By Maria A Khan 'Pakistan Times' Diplomatic Correspondent

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Tuesday said Pakistan and China were working towards further expansion of cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear technology for electricity generation and the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two would soon be ratified.

“A significant area of cooperation between Pakistan and China has been the harnessing of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes under international safeguards - for the production of electricity,” he said while inaugurating a day-long seminar organized by Institute of Strategic Studies to mark the 55 years of Pakistan-China relations.

Referring to Chasma-1 and Chashma-11 power plants as a symbol such cooperation, Prime Minister Aziz said that the two countries were working towards further expanding cooperation in this area.

In his addressed, the Prime Minister traced the historical ties between Pakistan and China, which have stood the test of time and weathered geo-strategic changes at both the global as well as regional level.

“Over the past 55 years, our all-weather and time-tested friendship has become higher than the highest mountains and deeper than the deepest oceans.”

“The friendship between our two countries is rooted in our hearts and minds - it is a model for relations between any two countries,” he told a distinguished gathering of Pakistani and Chinese scholars and Islamabad-based diplomats of various countries.

Defence Cooperation

Prime Minister Aziz described Pakistan-China defence cooperation as factor for stability in the region.

He recalled the framework agreement on defence cooperation the two countries had signed in February last year that is designed to carry forward traditional cooperation in this area.

This agreement will contribute towards the moderanization of armed forces of the two countries, he added.

Prime Minister Aziz particularly mentioned the co-production of JF-17 fighter aircraft and various tanks as the examples of the tangible output of defence cooperation between the two countries.

“A lesser-known but equally important aspect of this cooperation is in the important field of research and development which will lay the groundwork for future cooperation in this field,” he added.

The Prime Minister said, Pakistan and China have always pursued their friendship with the objective of mutual benefit and never at the cost of any other country.

“We have not sought hegemony nor shall we accept hegemony from any quarter,” he added.

Pak-China friendship, he added, is designed to promote security and cooperation with their neighbours as well as their global partners.

The Prime Minister underlined the need for both the countries to redouble their efforts for the protection and promotion of international peace and security in a multi-polar system confronted with serious challenges such as terrorism, nuclear proliferation, regional conflicts, the energy crisis, environmental degradation.

“As in the past, our present efforts can contribute towards greater security and stability around the world,” he said and assured that Pakistan would always stand united with China and that it could continue to count on its steadfast support.

In the political realm, Prime Minister Aziz said Pakistan and China were committed to pursuing relations between each other and with other countries on the basis of the principles of peaceful co-existence, sovereign equality and non-interference, “We seek mutually beneficial cooperation with all countries and are committed to the peaceful settlement of all disputes and conflicts,” he added.

The Prime Minister stated that Pak-China friendship was not designed to be used against any third country.

“We also do not subscribe to the concepts such as balance of power, pre-emption and unilateralism,” he said while adding, “we believe in strengthening the United Nations system to address and resolve all regional and global issues, peacefully”.

Prime Minister Aziz also foresaw further strengthening of economic cooperation between the two countries in coming years as the two-way trade volume has already surpassed $4 billion mark.

Pakistan and China have already concluded the Early Harvest Programme which is a first step towards the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which the Prime Minister said the two countries would be signing soon.

“These efforts to promote Chinese investments as well as bilateral trade will give a tremendous boost to our bilateral cooperation,” he added.

He said the trade volume between the two countries was rising very impressively and reflected the growth and increasing market size of their economies.

The Prime Minister told the audience that the two countries would soon be undertaking up-gradation of the Karakorum highway that had been built with the Chinese assistance.

The up-gradation will convert the highway into an all-weather corridor to facilitate bilateral trade.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister said, Pakistan was also exploring the feasibility of construction oil and gas pipelines on its coastline to western China that will considerably shorten the distance and time for oil and gas transportation from Gulf to China.

“Setting up of a mega-refinery at Gwadar would further facilitate China’s oil imports from our region,” he added.

The Prime Minister called for learning from China in the sphere of space technology.

The bilateral agreement in this respect, he added, would greatly benefit Pakistan’s capability for the use of space for peaceful purposes. He said China’s Schenzou Space Programme provides tremendous opportunities for Pakistan’s entry into the realm of outer space.

Strong Commitment

Prime Minister reiterated Pakistan’s strong commitment to re-dedicating to a future partnership between the two countries, even stronger than in the past.

“I believe that today there are even greater complementarities and inter-dependences and energy linkages between an emerging global power like China and a revitalized and repositioned Pakistan,” he added.

Prime Minister Aziz expressed the confidence that Pakistan-China relations would reach even greater heights in the future.●