ISLAMABAD, Sept 27: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Tuesday said that the Indo-US civil nuclear cooperation pact and the growing Sino-India relations were not a cause of concern for Pakistan.

“Formation of alliances and counter-alliances is a natural process and if the intention is peaceful, there is nothing to worry about,” he said, adding that every action followed a reaction.

The prime minister was answering questions after delivering inaugural address at a two-day international conference on ‘China and the emerging Asian century’ organized by the Institute of Strategic Studies.

He said China-Pakistan friendship was time-tested and relations of China with any other country never posed a threat to interests of Pakistan.

Addressing the conference, Mr Aziz said ties between China and Pakistan were rooted in history when the fabled Silk route served as a conduit for commerce as well as knowledge. He recalled that Chinese scholars Xuan Zang and Fa Xien had travelled the same route to Taxila University.

He said the Pakistan-China friendship was based on trust and confidence. “Our friendship is rooted in the psyche and ethos of our peoples.”

He pointed out that from Khunjrab to Gwadar symbols of this friendship dotted the landscape. The mega projects that Pakistan has undertaken with the help of China are like anchors that hold the two countries together in trusted friendship, he said.

“China’s peaceful rise and its present political and economic strength augurs well for Asia and the world. In regional and global context, China has an important role to play,” he stressed.

The premier said that China stood for global peace through common development based on equality, mutual benefit and gradual progress.

He said South Asia was well on its way to establishing a ‘free trade zone’. He said that Saarc Charter adopted during the Islamabad Summit could play an important role in improving the lives of people in South Asia and in eliminating poverty.

Mr Aziz described ASEAN as a success story and said the Asian bond, free trade arrangements, moves towards an ASEAN economic community, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Cooperation Dialogue, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, Economic Cooperation Organization, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, ASEAN +3, SCO Development Fund BOAO Forum for Asia and ASEAN Regional Forum were among the many initiatives that could change the economic and political landscape of Asia.

He said the logic of conflict of civilizations had added a new dimension to global uncertainties. “If unchecked, it could polarize the world,” he warned.

Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee Mushahid Hussain Sayed presided over the first session of the conference.

Dr M. Asif Abdul Kareem from Malaysia, Dr Ruan Zongze and Dr Chen Ziangyan from China and Dr Jaeho Hwang from Korea in their speeches highlighted the importance of China and its role in the next century.