President Hu Jintao will wrap up his four-nation tour in
Pakistan, which China describes as a trustworthy and reliable
friend and partner.
The impregnable Sino-Pakistani relationship, that is hailed as
"all-weather" and "time-tested," has long enabled the two neighbors
to be at ease with each other.
And the warmth has been growing with the passage of time.
President Hu is scheduled to give a televised speech today in
Islamabad, reaffirming the weight China attaches to its relations
with the South Asian nation.
The first Chinese president visiting Pakistan in a decade, Hu
will open a new chapter in bilateral relations.
A package of deals the two countries will hammer out will be a
vivid expression of the strength of the China-Pakistan ties.
The co-operation between China and Pakistan in the sphere of
nuclear energy will be on the agenda of the leaders of the two
countries.
An agreement on the two countries' peaceful use of nuclear
co-operation provides a framework for initiating co-operation in a
fair and win-win manner. They are subject to supervision by the
International Atomic Energy Agency.
They are entitled to the well-supervised civilian nuclear
co-operation.
The free trade agreement the two countries are likely to sign
will help bilateral trade flourish qualitatively.
Hu went to Pakistan to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the
establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
His visit will reinforce the bonds of friendship between the two
leaders and two countries.
Close neighbors linked by geography, history, culture and shared
values, China and Pakistan have a relationship rooted in the
popular ethos and based on complete trust and mutual
understanding.
Hu will add a more vigorous link to the Sino-Pakistani friendly
bond, which is salient in one way or another. The young tree he
will plant in the Shakarparian, a park housing eight pine trees
planted by other Chinese leaders, will be a new marker of the
friendship.
The Karakoram Highway traversing the mighty Himalayas is another
symbol of China-Pakistan co-operation. When people refer to their
friendship as higher than mountains, they have in mind the
engineering marvel as its tangible illustration.
It has turned out to be an enduring monument to the 82 Chinese
who lost their lives during its construction.
Reminiscent of the ancient Silk Road, the Karakoram Highway is a
conduit not only for merchandise and artefacts but also for
mutually enriching interaction in the realms of philosophy and
culture.
The highway demonstrates the depth, height and the expanse of
the Sino-Pakistani friendship.
President Hu's four-day visit to Pakistan will display the
resolve of the two countries to reach new heights in their
"time-tested" and "all-weather" friendship, partnership and
co-operation.
(China Daily November 24, 2006)
