News
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Zardari urges Pakistan, China to jointly deal with world economy* Pak, China governments determined to increase bilateral trade by more than $10 billion
BEIJING: President Asif Ali Zardari has stressed the need for Pakistan and China to deal with the world economy together and act in accordance with new global demands.
In an interview with China's People’s Daily Online, the president said as the world is settling in a new situation, Pakistan and China need to find a new comfort zone for further collaboration in all dimensions. The president termed growth of China as emergence of a new Japan, the largest economy in the world and added that all friends of China would be part of that rise. He said Pakistan and China have strong bonds of friendship and mentioned that both the countries are the home to the old civilisation of Buddhism.
Zardari said Pakistan established diplomatic relations with China at a time when the latter was not open in relations with the outside world. He said the theory of looking towards East was owed to the founder of Pakistan People’s Party and former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The president said he felt that there was room for more interaction with China. He said he had been visiting China since 1988, even before assuming the office of president of Pakistan. He mentioned that Chinese language had been introduced as an optional subject in schools of Sindh province. Referring to the Karakorum Highway damaged by floods, the president said Pakistan and China were working on enhancing road and railway connectivity. He said the governments of both countries had the determination of increasing their bilateral trade by more than $10 billion. The president also extended New Year greetings to China on the start of its new lunar year.
China's flagship newspaper People’s Daily and its website People’s Daily Online conducted separate exclusive interviews with the president and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. Once the schedule of the interview was announced on People’s Daily Online, it caught widespread attention from Chinese citizens, who put forward thousands of topics and questions during quite a short time and sent their best wishes to Pakistani people on the website. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk