In a bid to cement the nuclear deal, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari will leave on Tuesday on a six-day official visit to China.
During the visit, the President will hold talks with the top Chinese leadership, including President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, and will meet with provincial political leaders and chiefs of corporate sector.
China demonstrated strong support to Pakistan by categorical reiteration that it will go ahead with installation of two new nuclear reactors in Pakistan as the agreement ‘goes along well with the international non proliferation obligations of China and Pakistan’.
The agreement was signed during President Zardari’s China visit last year and reiterated on the eve of President Zardari’s fresh visit.
President Zardari’s frequent visits to China is in line with the President’s announcement made during his first visit to China in October 2008 that he will undertake brief visits to China to boost the new initiatives that the government had decided to take.
During the last two years, more than five dozen new initiatives have been undertaken and nearly forty Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) have been signed.
The new economic initiatives that have been launched recently include building hydro dams, transfer of hybrid technology, expanding banking operations, roads and communication networks, cooperation in agriculture focusing on optimum utilisation of irrigation water and development of new high yielding varieties of wheat and cotton, the proposed Thar Coal project and dredging of Tarbela reservoir. Briefing reporters, spokesperson to the President, Mr Farhatullah Babar, said that the forthcoming visit will be the fifth undertaken by the President demonstrating the importance Pakistan attaches to strategic ties with China through enhanced people to people contacts.
The Presidential entourage will leave Islamabad on Sunday night a day ahead of the Presidential visit. Members of the entourage include, defence minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar, petroleum minister Naveed Qamar, minister of state for water resources Kamal Majidullah, minister of state Hina Rabbani Khar and others.