China-Pakistan nexus.

A.V.

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the china - pakistan nexus
all news and agreements here.
 

A.V.

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Pak, China plan to sign FTA

BEIJING: China and Pakistan plan to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) during the four-day visit of Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari to Hubei and
Shanghai beginning Friday. Zardari is also seeking Beijing's assistance on a range of issues including hydropower projects.

"This is going to be a thematic and focused visit to fulfil specific objectives," Masood Khan, Pakistan's ambassador to China, told TOI. "Our objectives include enhancing cooperation in the field of agriculture, strengthening financial and industrial partnerships and exploring new grounds for cooperation in hydropower projects," he said.

Observers of the Sino-Pakistani relationship said that Zardari's mission is largely focused on economy and investment issues and there is little political content to it. This may be partly because the Pakistani president would not get to meet the top echelons of Chinese leadership on this visit.

Senior leaders of China would be busy hosting the first official visit of Hilary Clinton, the US secretary of state, in Beijing during the time Zardari spends in east China. He is expected to be received by a minister from China's commerce ministry, who will also sign the FTA.

The Zardari entourage does not include the governor of Pakistan's central bank. This is significant because the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson suggested on Tuesday that China was open to the idea of extending further assistance to cash-strapped Pakistan.

The Pakistani leadership obviously does not want to cause embarrassment to Beijing by raising the issue of a second loan so soon after it got an assistance of $500 million from China a few months back.

"The Pakistani president is trying to get a first hand impression of the development of China in various fields," Khan said. Zardari is expected to visit the Three Gorges project on Yangtze River, regarded to be the world's biggest river project, and also visit the stock exchange in Shanghai.

The Pakistani president is also slated to visit some state-run cultural intuitions in both Hubei and Shanghai. China is extensively involved in hydropower projects across Pakistan, Islamabad is now planning to put forward some more hydropower projects for Chinese assistance in both financial and engineering terms, sources said.

Pak, China plan to sign FTA-International Business-Business-The Times of India
 

pyromaniac

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The way the Pakistan economy s going China is going to have to start to pay for everything that Pakistan does....
 

A.V.

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China allays Pakistan's fears by promising unswerving friendship

BEIJING: Dai Bingguo, China's highest ranking legislator, has assured visiting Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari that Beijing will do all that
is necessary to further cement the relationship between the two countries.

"To promote the development of Sino-Pakistani friendship is our unswerving policy," Dai, who holds the position of State Councillor, told Zardari in east China's Wuhan city late yesterday evening. China has always treated relations with Pakistan from "a strategic height and a long-term perspective," he said.

Dai is believed to have discussed with Zardari a wide range of political issues in South Asia including the Mumbai attack and the controversial Swat peace deal being offered to Taliban led forces in the tribal areas of Pakistan. But there was no confirmation on this score from official spokespersons on either side.

The Chinese official media has been sympathetic about the Pakistani government's versions of the Mumbai attack story. At another level, Pakistan is looking for Chinese support for the Swat deal at a time when it is being opposed by western nations including the United States, sources said.

The Communist Party of China recently demonstrated its deep interested in Pakistan's political situation by signing an agreement with the Islamist Jamat-e-Islami. Zardari has reasons to be worried about Beijing doing a deal with a party that is opposed to his interests.

Top Chinese leaders were playing host to Hilary Clinton, the US secretary of State, in the same when Zardari is visiting east China. This is why political inputs from Zardari could be of great help to Chinese leaders during the Clinton visit.

Pakistan is worried about a possible weakening in the Sino-Pakistan relationship at a time when Beijing's worldview is colored by the global financial crisis and its need to protect the US market for Chinese products, sources said. Chinese leaders, who were very close to former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf are yet to familiarize themselves with Zardari.

Dai's meeting with Zardari resulted in China signing an agreement with Pakistan for cooperation in hydel power generation on Sunday. Under the agreement signed by Li Yong'an, head of the Three Gorges Project Corporation, which is the world's largest dam project, China has agreed to provide technical assistance to Pakistan in the field of hydel power generation.

Zardari told his Chinese hosts that the purpose of his three day visit to east China was to study the Chinese model of power generation and development in agriculture sector. The Pakistani president is not visiting Beijing on this second visit to China.
 

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Zardari offers China access to ports

WUHAN (China), Feb 21: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday offered China access to Pakistani ports for international trade, ahead of the signing of five memoranda of understanding in agriculture and trade sectors.

In Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, the president said that Chinese companies in central China would benefit the most from access to Pakistani ports.

“We will encourage Chinese companies to come to Pakistan because Pakistan’s geostrategic location provides them global access through our warm waters,” Mr Zardari said.

When asked how he assessed cooperation and relationship between the two countries, he said they were over 50 years old in which three generations of the Bhutto family had played a very positive role.

“My party and my government want to strengthen these relations which are historical and very vast. We are proud of China’s progress.”

Highlighting Pak-China relations, he said: “I wish one million Chinese were in Pakistan and one million Pakistanis were in China, taking this relationship to another level.”

The president praised the Chinese media and said it had always played a positive role in strengthening bilateral relations.

Addressing researchers at the China-Pakistan Agriculture and Water Resources Cooperation Forum, President Zardari said that Pakistan wanted to benefit from China’s experience in agriculture.

The president expressed hope his visit would further strengthen ties between the two countries, particularly in agriculture and hydroelectricity sectors.

Earlier, Chinese experts informed the president about research in development of hybrid seeds of cotton, rice and rapeseed.

MOUs SIGNED: Pakistan and China signed four MoUs for cooperation in agriculture.

President Zardari and the governor of Hubei, Lihong Zhong, attended the signing ceremony.

An MoU between the government of Sindh and Hubei Seed Group is aimed at joint development of hybrid rice seed and its commercial production in Pakistan.

Another MoU between Pakistan Agriculture and Research Council (PARC) and Hubei Research Group focuses on the establishment of joint breeding in Pakistan. Under the MoU, Pakistani scientists would also be trained in breeding agronomy and oilseed production.

Another MoU was inked for the expansion of cooperation through exchange of high-profile visits and promotional events to enhance mutual understanding and friendly relations between Sindh and Hubei provinces.

The fourth MoU was inked between National Dredging Company (NDC) for the setting up of dredging works in Karachi, Gwadar, Port Qasim, canals, rivers and barrages.

The agreements were signed by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, PARC Chairman Zafar Altaf and Chairman of the Hubei Seed Group, Guobao Yuan.

A memorandum of understanding to attract investment in the services sector was also signed on Saturday.

The agreement would enhance the capacity of services providers in the two countries, creating new jobs in various sectors, including information technology.—APP
 

Neo

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The way the Pakistan economy s going China is going to have to start to pay for everything that Pakistan does....
Care to elaborate what you mean by that? Please tell me how and where the economy is going. You atleast must have some insight in Pakistani affairs to make such statement.
 
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In any Pakistani-chinese trade it always seems like China has the upper hand one example was a while back when pakistan opened their market to chinese textiles and the chinese came in and closed many pakistani manufacturers down by dumping their goods.
 

Neo

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In any Pakistani-chinese trade it always seems like China has the upper hand one example was a while back when pakistan opened their market to chinese textiles and the chinese came in and closed many pakistani manufacturers down by dumping their goods.
Thats is global trend and Pakistan is no exception. China has positive trade balance with almost every partner. Its true that Pakistani markets are being flooded with cheap Chinese goods but on the other hand we're getting a lot of technical assistence is building infrastructure and industry. Pakistan has huge deposits of Coal, Copper, Gold, Marble and few other minerals. Once we exploit this potential we'll be earning billions in export to China.
 
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I hope it works out like you say Neo China may have designs on the raw materials at cut -rate prices, they are already pillaging africa.
 

Neo

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Does it matter? China is helping to build infrastructure, that too at very competable price and with full ToT. So its a win-win situation for Pakistan.

Pakistan is sitting on worlds fourth largest coal and fifth largest copper and gold reserves, there's plenty to go around. ;)
 
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The point I am trying to make is pakistan should diversify as much as they can don't put all your eggs in one basket, more trade with many different countries will keep pricing and terms favorable for pakistan.
 

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Thats is global trend and Pakistan is no exception. China has positive trade balance with almost every partner. Its true that Pakistani markets are being flooded with cheap Chinese goods
In any Pakistani-chinese trade it always seems like China has the upper hand one example was a while back when pakistan opened their market to chinese textiles and the chinese came in and closed many pakistani manufacturers down by dumping their goods.
If these cheap Chinese goods are ruining domestic industries than Pakistan must enforce trade barriers or invoke antidumping laws.

but on the other hand we're getting a lot of technical assistence is building infrastructure and industry.
By technical assistance I hope you don't mean, Pak govt is funding Chinese companies (with local partners) to build infrastructure ?

Pakistan has huge deposits of Coal, Copper, Gold, Marble and few other minerals. Once we exploit this potential we'll be earning billions in export to China.
Can I have a link ? I never thought Pakistan was particularly mineral rich, the pakistani "lun" though is unbeatable.

And don't you think it is better if Pakistan exploits these minerals rather the letting Chinese plunder them?

Exporting copper ingots has lesser multiplier effect on GDP than exporting copper products like wires, coils etc. Chinese can be encourage to setup processing plants in Pakistan instead ?
 

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The point I am trying to make is pakistan should diversify as much as they can don't put all your eggs in one basket, more trade with many different countries will keep pricing and terms favorable for pakistan.
We're just doing that. FTA with Sri Lanka and Malaysia is already completed, China will follow next year whereas we're trying to Finalise BIT with USA. EU seems to be agreeing on extending quota for Pakistani products.

The difference is that China is a friendly and resourceful neighbor willing to walk few more miles than most other countries.
 

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I hope it works out like you say Neo China may have designs on the raw materials at cut -rate prices, they are already pillaging africa.
They have pillaged India for coal and iron ore too, thankfully some babu in the office had some sense knocked into him. India put up strict duties to restrict ore export but this is only feasible if domestic industries come up to tap into the resources.
 
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We're just doing that. FTA with Sri Lanka and Malaysia is already completed, China will follow next year whereas we're trying to Finalise BIT with USA. EU seems to be agreeing on extending quota for Pakistani products.

The difference is that China is a friendly and resourceful neighbor willing to walk few more miles than most other countries.
They are doing it for their own advantage not out of any emotion, Indians feel the same way about Russians but I remind many it's only buisness, but when you give someone access to your ports even at a fee you are giving up part of your sovereignty.
 

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They have pillaged India for coal and iron ore too, thankfully some babu in the office had some sense knocked into him. India put up strict duties to restrict ore export but this is only feasible if domestic industries come up to tap into the resources.
India as one of worlds largest Steel producer didn't have any other choice to put suties on iron ore and coal export to protect domestic industry. Pakistan doesn't have that kind of industrial platform and like I said there's plenty to go around so let China come and engage JV's with Pakistani companies, it will benefit boryh sides equally.
 

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They are doing it for their own advantage not out of any emotion, Indians feel the same way about Russians but I remind many it's only buisness, but when you give someone access to your ports even at a fee you are giving up part of your sovereignty.
And we're using it for our advantage so everybody wins. China won't get full controll of anything in Pakistan. Most such agreements have a run of 20 yaers max. A lot can happen in that time, a tiny port like Gwadar can become the next Singapore or Honk Kong of SA.
 

Neo

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if that happens do you think China will give it back in 20 years?
Whatever the agreement it will be economical in nature, not political or military. She doesn't have to "give back" what she never took.

China isn't known to be a expansionist country nor does she have imperial ambitions. All she wants is to secure supply routes to mainland and Pakistan happens to be one of closest allies and neighbor.

Its a Geo-Strategic and Geo-Political marriage between the two countries.
 

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