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Sino-Pakistani Ties Become Closer
Sino-Pakistani relationship will become even closer in the 21st century, and constitute a strong factor of peace and stability in the region and the world as well, according to Riaz Khokhar, Pakistani Ambassador to China.
"Pakistan is proud of and satisfied with such an exemplary relationship with China over a half century, and it is my firm conviction that our relationship is a forward-looking one, and would only be further strengthened in the years to come,"
Khokhar said Saturday in a written interview with Xinhua on the eve of Pakistan's Independence Day, which falls on August 14.
Sino-Pakistani relations are "time-tested and all-weather", he said, adding that "Our relationship has long become a model for state-to-state relations in the international community, essentially because it is based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence and is not targeted against any country."
A healthy bilateral relationship is conducive to regional and international stability as both countries consider promotion of peace and development as a key objective of their foreign policies, he said.
"Both oppose hegemony and power politics," the ambassador said.
Recalling Pakistani Chief Executive Pervez Musharraf's visit to China in January this year, Khokhar said that Pakistan has always extended unconditional, consistent and strong support for China on the issues of Taiwan, Tibet, human rights and WTO. In return, Pakistan has received invaluable principled support from China on various issues at the international level.
On economic and trade relations, he said that the 11th session of Pakistan-China Joint Economic Commission in Beijing in May this year reviewed economic and trade ties, and also made recommendations to provide momentum to such ties.
"The two countries agreed to explore the possibility of enlarging cooperation in telecommunications, agriculture, information technology, urban planning and transportation, oil, gas and other infrastructure development projects," he said.
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