Sino-Pak ties maturing into strategic partnership: Zardari

ISLAMABAD – The government is keen to take the multifaceted Sino-Pak ties to new heights as the friendship between the two countries has matured into a comprehensive strategic partnership, President Asif Ali Zardari said on Saturday.
“Strengthening and enhancing cooperation with China in all fields has been and still is one of the key principles of Pakistan’s foreign policy,” Zardari said at the delegation-level talks between Pakistan and China led by the president and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao respectively at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.
Pakistan and China established a mechanism for regular consultations between the leadership of the two countries and also for an energy framework to help Pakistan over come the energy crisis. Jiabao said a mechanism had been worked out and expressed the hope that it would enhance mutual cooperation and would contribute towards strengthening of bilateral relations.
The talks were preceded by a meeting between President and Prime Minister Jiabao. Later briefing reporters, president’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar quoted President Zardari as saying that Pakistan was proud of Chinese friendship, adding that Chinese support was always there on every testing occasion.
During the meeting, the president thanked the Chinese premier and the people for their generous support during the recent devastating floods and many other areas including defence and security, vital strategic interests, economic revival of the war-damaged and flood stricken economy and in overcoming energy crisis.
The president said the government was focused on translating the immense potential of Sino-Pak relations into a win-win economic equation for both the countries to take advantage of the Chinese expertise. Welcoming the largest-ever business delegation accompanying the Chinese premier, Zardari expressed the hope that the recently signed MoUs and various agreements in diverse areas would boost the existing cooperation.
He said he considered China his second home and regularly visited various areas of China as he was keen to learn from the Chinese in defence, energy, industry, agriculture, communications and commerce and trade.