Ties with China higher than the Himalayas

"The bedrock of our bilateral bonds is a strong faith and trust in each other that we have nurtured with care and devotion", President General Pervez Musharraf's words reflect the importance of Pakistan-China relations which are commonly known as friendship higher than the Himalayas, deeper than the oceans and sweeter than honey. This friendship is rooted in the ethos of the peoples of the two countries.
On 21st May 1951, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the People's Republic of China established official diplomatic relations although Pakistan recognised China on 4th January 1950. Major General N.A.M. Raza was the first Pakistani Ambassador in China who served from 1951 to 1954 and with a second stint from 1962-1966. Similarly Han Nianlong was the first Chinese Ambassador in Pakistan who served here from 1951 to 1956.
The friendship of Pakistan and China is known as an exemplary one throughout the world and no doubt both countries attached great importance to this relationship and also with the passage of time Pakistan and China have developed an exemplary State-to-State relationship on the basis of the five principles of peaceful coexistence.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China 55 years ago, the Pakistan-China good-neighbourly and friendly relations fostered and promoted by the successive generations of leaders of both countries have not looked back and on constant forward march and bilateral co-operation remain mutually beneficial.
The recent very successful visit of President General Pervez Musharraf to China from February 19-23, 2006, on the invitation of his Chinese counterpart President Hu Jintao was termed as historic and a milestone in the Pakistan and China relations which ended with a positive note.
The visit was the official opening of the 55th anniversary celebrations of the establishment of Pakistan and China diplomatic relations. During this State visit the President of Pakistan had wide-ranging meetings with his Chinese counterpart.
Keeping in view the importance of the visit Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Wen Jiabao Premier of the State Council, and Jia Qinglin, Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference met the President Pervez Musharraf.
During this visit President Musharraf was the chief guest at a very special cultural and social event organised by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the Embassy of Pakistan jointly to mark the celebration.
The cultural performances were widely appreciated and the event helped in projecting positive and cultured image of Pakistan not only in China but in the large number of foreigners residing in Beijing. CPAFFC China's President Chen Haosu along with the Chinese State Counsellor Tang Jiaxuan named that evening as very a friendly evening.
That event was later on reported in the official monthly magazine of CPAFFC-China "Voice of Friendship". CPAFFC-China and Pakistan-China Friendship Association (PCFA) NWFP is enjoying excellent working relationship. This year PCFA NWFP 5-member delegation has been invited to visit China as part of the celebrations.
During the visit President Pervez Musharraf also addressed leading Chinese scholars. At the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences he met leading Chinese businessmen to explore more avenues for Chinese investment in Pakistan and to offer them more attractions in addition to those they are already getting here in Pakistan.
During this third State visit of our President to China along with a high profile delegation, views were exchanged in very friendly and cordial atmosphere in depth and both leaders reached a broad common ground for strengthening Pakistan-China strategic partnership for co-operation on international and regional issues of mutual interest.
China with a population of more then 1.3 billion is one-fifth of the world, having a literacy rate of 90.9% thus leading not only Asia but emerging as a potential leading economic power of the world.
At present China is having 472 International and national airports, road communication starched to more then 18,00,000 kms and railway track length is 71,000 kms. 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions and 4 municipalities are directly under the control of the Central government. China has a world within a world, assimilating 56 ethnic groups, wherein 91.9% are Han Chinese with Muslims around 21 million.
China with its growth rate of 9.4% has surprised the whole world with its GDP at $2.2 trillion in 2005. The Pakistan and China import and export are $4.26 billion whereas the volume of China imports from Pakistan is $830 million and export to Pakistan is 3.43 billion.
The balance of trade between Pakistan and China is not very impressive and needs special attention for further positive development. The two sides are presently negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which aims to push total trade exchange exceeding $8 billion by the year 2008.
President Pervez Musharraf during his visit to China mentioned that the Gwadar Port project on the Arabian Sea coast in Balochistan through which crude oil imports from Iran and Africa can be transported to the north-west China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region through the land route and for this purposes a feasibility study is being conducted which will shortcut compared to the one via the Straits of Molacca.
China contributed about $200 million for the constriction of the port's first phase which was completed last April when Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Pakistan and now during the high level contacts China has reportedly also agreed to finance the second phase of the Project.
It will have nine more berths and approach channels and storage terminals. China's assistance to Pakistan with development projects in the fields of communication, nuclear energy, defence production and training, health and education has been appreciative.
As this year is named the 55th Anniversary of Pakistan's and China's diplomatic relations we will call this year as the 55th anniversary of friendship. The celebrations were started with the visit of our President to China and with a signing of 13 MoUs in various sectors for further co-operation and understanding which will go a long way in the history of both countries and consequently alternatively help the socio-economic development of economic sectors of Pakistan.
On this occasion we look on very impressive activities and achievements of most active organisations like Pakistan-China Friendship Association (PCFA) NWFP - which was established in 1970 by Qazi Shamsuddin and who played a vital role in strengthening the relationship and people-to-people contacts since then.
Peshawar, the capital city of North West Frontier Province, declared a sister city with Urumqi - capital city of Xinjiang Ugyur Autonomous Region of China in 1985. Last year (2005) the 20th anniversary of this joining of the two cities celebrated and Vice-Chairman of Xinjiang led a 7-member delegation to attend the celebrations and more recently in 2005 a major city of NWFP, Abbottabad, was declared twin with the historic city of Kashgar in May-2005. More twin cities are under considerations with the Chinese cities.
More than 2000 years ago, famous Chinese scholars, including Xuan Zang and Fa Xian, travelled to Taxila, a city located in the north of Islamabad, federal capital of Pakistan, to study Buddhist scriptures as this city was very renowned for its historical relics which are still a great tourist attractions.
These itineraries are narrated in the famous Chinese novel, "Xi You Ji," which means pilgrimage to the west. One of the important founders of Tibetan Buddhism Sambahava belonged to Swat Valley an important place of NWFP and he also travelled to the Tibet more than a thousand year ago.
Salman Bashir, the 17th Pakistani Ambassador in China, is playing a very important and vital role in the development and strengthening of these relationships like his predecessor Riaz Muhammad Khan, presently Foreign Secretary right from Major General N.A.M. Raza, our first Ambassador to China, till the present Ambassador Salman Bashir. On the Chinese side right from Han Nianlong, the first Chinese Ambassador in Pakistan, till Zhang Chunxiang all these played a vital role.
To cerebrate the 55th anniversary of Pakistan-China Friendship the Government of NWFP also constituted a high-powered committee under the Chairmanship of NWFP Minister for LG&RDD, Sardar Muhammad Idress, and having provincial secretaries and senior leaders of PCFA NWFP as their members to plan and celebrate the occasion in a befitting manner.
Briefly, at this point of time the government and people of Pakistan should learn lessons from the practical experiences of their Great Friend China for their socio-economic development to strength themselves which matter now-a-days.
(The writer is Secretary-General, Pakistan-China Friendship Association, NWFP-Pakistan and Media Consultant.)