Qureshi’s China visit seen important

As Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi begins talks in Beijing today, marking his first official visit in nearly two years, Pakistan views this five-day visit as a very important one at a very important time.

Qureshi’s first bilateral visit to China, apart from talks with his counterpart Yang Jeichi, would also see him calling on the Chinese leadership, including premier Wen Jiabao, as well as addressing business leaders, think tanks and members of the Pakistani community.

The foreign minister would also travel to Shanghai, where he would visit the under-construction Pakistan Pavilion for the Shanghai Expo 2010. The visit also includes extensive interaction with the Chinese media.

“We see this first visit of the foreign minister in the new year as a very important one at a very important time. The purpose of this visit is to strengthen our strategic partnership between the two countries, expand our economic cooperation and give fresh imputes to people-to-people contact,” Ambassador Masood Khan told The News on telephone from Beijing after receiving the foreign minister.

Qureshi, according to diplomatic sources in Islamabad, will be discussing with his Chinese hosts the upcoming Indo-Pak secretary-level talks, which start on February 25. “Beijing has, for a long time now, supported the dialogue between the two countries as the only way forward, saying that war is not an option. Even on Kashmir, it has always advocated dialogue. There is a strategic consensus between the US and China as far as South Asia’s security is concerned and this entails terrorism as well as the differences between Pakistan and India. The timing of Qureshi’s visit is hence important,” comments one China expert.

Of importance is the view of the Indian Army chief, who has not only initiated the Cold Start Doctrine, but also made public India’s plans of taking on Pakistan and China simultaneously. Both Islamabad and Beijing see this not simply a statement of an army chief but a doctrine, which is supported by the Manmohan Singh government.

“While there was a lot of hue and cry over General Kapoor’s statement in Pakistan, there was a muted response from Beijing, who said it was not worth commenting upon. But it is different with the Chinese think tanks and intellectuals, who said that there should be no friendship with India, which was a hostile country,” says the expert.

Officials are not commenting on one of the concerns that Beijing has taken up with Pakistan, and that is terrorist activities inside China, in its Xinjiang province, by militants who are based in Pakistan’s northern areas. Last February, two special Chinese envoys visited Islamabad to express their concerns, saying the ETIM, a separatist organisation, had its military headquarters inside Fata.

The spokesman at the Foreign Office, meanwhile, commenting on the visit, said, “Pakistan and China enjoy a multifaceted and multidimensional strategic partnership, based on mutual trust and mutuality of interests. Strengthening of cooperation with China is one of the key principles guiding Pakistan’s foreign policy.

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=225534