China to Help Pakistan Build Major Sea Port: MinisterChinese Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC) Shi Guangsheng said Wednesday that China has made all the efforts it can to help build a major seaport in southern Pakistan.Shi made the remark during a meeting with Pakistani Minister of Finance Shaukat Aziz and Pakistani Minister for Communications Javed Ashraf, who arrived here Tuesday on a visit. The Gwadar Port Project was decided by leaders of the two countries when Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji visited Pakistan last May. Shi described Pakistan as an "all-weather" friend of China, saying China attaches great importance to the consensus reached in the talks between leaders of the two countries, and has carried out a series of follow-up actions for the planned project. "Considering the China-Pakistan traditional friendship and friendly relations," Shi said, "China has made all-out efforts on the issue of the Gwadar Port Project." The two sides are now holding negotiations for a final deal on the arrangement of the project. Both sides said they hope construction of the project can start at an early date. Both Aziz and Ashraf said the Gwadar Port Project will play an important role in Pakistan's domestic construction drive, and symbolizes the strategic cooperation between the two countries. |
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