KARACHI: Our war against fundamentalism to benefit China: Nisar
KARACHI, April 28: Pakistan's war against fundamentalism will benefit China which faces a similar threat in certain parts of the country.
This was stated by Senator Nisar A. Memon, Chairman of the Senate's Standing Committee on Defence, while addressing a seminar on Pakistan-China Relations: Past, Present and Future held here on Friday under the auspices of the Pakistan Society of International Affairs.
Mr Memon said that Pakistan also enjoyed global support in its war against terrorism.
He said China believed in promotion of peace in the region. China has the capacity to wait for the right time as it had done in the case of Hong Kong. “Pakistan pursues the same policy,” he said.
The senator said that Pakistan's foreign policy was determined by its strategic geo-political interests. It was the first country to recognise China and over the past 55 years, the friendly relations between the two countries were getting stronger. These ties would become even stronger in future, he added.“China is the corner stone of Pakistan's policy,” he remarked, saying that Pakistan had been keeping a balance in its relations with China and the then Soviet Union. Now, the Central Asian States which were earlier part of the USSR, were maintaining very friendly ties with Pakistan, he pointed out.
“China and India are now moving towards friendship which is very good omen for the prosperity and progress of the region,” Senator Memon observed, and called upon China to use its positive influence on India with a view to ensure peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues between Pakistan and India.
He said China had emerged as a regional power and today, regionalism was gaining strength.
“Had we developed our infrastructure earlier, we would also have had a very strong economy today,” he remarked, adding that the wise and practical policies introduced by President Pervez Musharraf had turned around the country's economy over the last couple of years.
Speaking on the occasion, China’s consul general in Karachi praised the role of the Pakistan Society for International Affairs in strengthening the China-Pakistan relations. He said that the friendship was an example of good mutual cooperation, understanding and trust. “The Gawadar port and other mega projects are a proof of the strong friendly ties,” he said, and noted that over the past 25 years, the bilateral trade was showing a constant increase. He said Pakistan-China friendship would help promote peace in the region.—APP
