“Pakistan is for enhanced rail, road and air connectivity in the region as it is the key to regional development,” President Zardari said while addressing the China-Eurasia Economic Development and Cooperation Forum soon after the opening ceremony of first China-Eurasia Expo here in the capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from September 1 to 5.
The President who reached Urumqi on Tuesday to attend the mega event said the Chinese government by hosting the China-Eurasia Expo has built economic bridges between Europe and Asia, the East and the West. “This is a timely and laudable initiative,” he remarked.
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Defence Minister Ch. Ahmed Mukhtar, Petroleum and Natural Resources Minister Dr Asim Hussain, Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Syed Mehdi Shah, Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir Ch. Abdul Majeed, Chairman Board of Investment Salim H Mandviwala, President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Senator Haji Ghulam Ali, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Masood Khan and Spokesperson to the President attended the event.
Tracing the history of centuries-old Silk route that passed through this region and was a link between East and West, President Zardari said the China-Eurasia Expo’s venue carries great significance.
“The earliest exchanges between the East and the West took place through the historic Silk Road that passed through this region,” he said adding it was a conduit for the exchange of ideas and knowledge as well as goods and merchandise between Pakistan and China.
The President said development of the western parts of China including Xinjiang is truly remarkable and Pakistan views Xinjiang’s development and prosperity as its own.
He said China’s policy of developing Xinjiang offered tremendous opportunities for economic collaboration between our two regions, adding, Pakistan and China are already working towards an “integrated border management” to promote trade ties between our two countries.
He said Pakistan and China were time-tested friends and the two countries enjoy a high degree of mutual trust and confidence.
“We have a history of fruitful cooperation in a wide range of areas of mutual interest,” the President said and mentioned with pride and pleasure that this year they are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries.
China’s economic progress was a source of inspiration for many countries including Pakistan, he said and added that without China’s economic strength the world’s economy would have been in a deeper crisis in the post-recession era.
Talking about terrorism, the President said this menace has spread all over, with Pakistan hit hard. “We have suffered greatly on this count”, he remarked.
“The recent incidents of terrorism in Xinjiang dismayed us,” President Zardari said, adding, Pakistan would extend all possible cooperation to China in overcoming this menace.
President Zardari expressed his conviction that terrorism will not discourage the march towards development and prosperity.
He also expressed his confidence that the China-Eurasia Expo will be a milestone in promoting development in the region and beyond.
“I wish our Chinese friends and the participants of the Expo all success,” the President added.
Earlier President Zardari joined China’s Executive Vice President and other dignitaries at the impressive opening ceremony of the first China-Eurasia Expo at the newly constructed magnificent Expo Center building.
The President later visited the Pakistan Pavilion at the Expo and evinced keen interest in various traditional Pakistani products such as artificial jewelry, carpets displayed at the pavilion.
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It will also have positive effects domestically when honesty and trust prevails between partners in promoting regional trade and development. Good job Zardari!!
We do not want to earn prosperity the old fashioned way. We want to continue our bad habits and other social evils and hope that somebody or some country would deliver it for us. We blame every ruler, every country except ourselves. We have all the excuses for our bad habits and corruption. After being disappointed from America, Europe and Middle East we are hoping that Communist China would change the plight of Islamic Pakistan! If a man only keeps asking for money he does not have any friends soon. No country in the world including China would help Pakistan with the kind of cash we have been used to. Pakistan is a middle aged man and it should behave like one. How long would we continue to beg? Let us wake up and concentrate on science, trade and opennes of mind, the prosperity would follow. India and China are of the same age as us, but they have open trade and not fanaticism.
well, first of all, i would like to say that pak has potentiality and natural resources and manpower to carry out economical and financial developements but yes there is this BUT...you cannot close your eyes towards the destruction which is being done some insane and psyche pakistanis in the name of religion and Allah. hating USA can be understood but killing your own people (be is Shia or Sunni) and when they are praying and sleeping..cannot be justified. not paying tax, continuous rioting and keeping people and enviornement under terror won't develop. remember for develpment, a peaceful surrounding is like a water to a seed to develop. control your exteremist by educating them. grow the percentage of literacy. reduce corruption. bureaucratic superiority is harmful for a common citizen. take advantage on having your country's strategic position but keep good relations with the neighbours. the truth is for feeding people and giving them a secure and peaceful life, you need to be sincere towards yourself. you can't pretend of being rich. wake up. withough money rail won't run and electricity can't be gotten. how long will you live on debts and loans from other countries. don't you have self respect. you have man power. establish peace to create opportunity to prosper them. Allah may give you sense Mr. President and other concerned authrities
@Arzoo: it is not the govt. that delivers but that the people who realy deliver the Govt. ? Support the actions of present govt , needed to solve the Kashmr issue . Baloch issue and Afghan issue then say Baaye Baaye to uncle Sam and say Aaye Aaye to Chacha China and India .
Good going Zardari. Lets first integrate this region economically. Do your best Mr President.
@Dr,A.K.Tewari: You mind your own Business and do not worry about other's castle. You are not in the picture anyway. Go have some rest now. Can You make us to like you? No.
@Arzoo: janaab! what do you think about Musharraf's rule ? He was good to Karachi though..
Zardari's dream is good but in present situation it is just like making castle in the air . Better think about good relation with India and Afghanistan first .
Uncle Sam murdabad,.,.,. Chacha China jindabad....
New slogan of Paki ..?????
No different than the IP pipeline (which isn't going to happen) - economic prosperity can't take place until you get rid of your image as jihad central. Who wants to invest expensive infrastructure in an environment where that infrastructure can be easily destroyed by "strategic assets".
This is just a wish list. For transporting goods via Pakistan it will require lot more than words. It requires a peace full environment to assure that the goods will reach the other end. At this time there is a trust and credibility deficit among the businessman outside the Pakistan. Roads are in bad shape, NATO tankers and trucks carrying NATO goods get looted on a regular basis and News media prints in big headline as country achieved a big milestone, no body denounces the burning of a commercial trucks; Baluchistan gas line is not able to transport gas on a continuous uninterrupted basis. So before uttering wish list convince me that my goods will not be touched by your hooligans. Yes I can file a claim with the insurance company but my insurance rates will go up and after two claims Insurance companies will stop insuring my goods. Yes, the route is shorter but it is not safe to transport goods via Pakistan. May be in ten fifteen years when this reality sinks into. If you want see such a transport model look across Europe. 5 Billion dollars of goods goes across Canada and USA with guarantee that goods will reach the other end. If something happens local law agencies will ensure that hooligans are prosecuted to teeth. You let go criminals, terrorists, kidnapper without penalty. I do not want to loose my sanity by send goods across your insane country till your society smartens up.
LONG LICE PAK-CHINA FRIENDSHIP !
“Pakistan is for enhanced rail, road and air connectivity in the region as it is the key to regional development,”
just look at the corruption in these departments zardari!
Where is our prime minister?
President Zardari has continuously impressed with his maturity (no hate speeches ever), dedication, economic vision (economic agreements with 10's of countries so far), and political prowess (reconciliation among domestic parties, and in the middle-east)! Great work, sir. Keep up the good work! Regards, Rehan
“Pakistan is for enhanced rail, road and air connectivity in the region as it is the key to regional development,” President Zardari said.
I cannot disagree with the President more. If it was so, the transportation infra-structure would not have been deliberately destroyed in Pakistan. Look at the Circular Railway project in Karachi. A system that was so beautifully designed to conveniently take Karachi's citizens from one end to the other. The already laid out rail tracks were abandoned and the thieves took the iron tracks out of the ground in many parts of the city. Look at the pathetic Pakistan Railway, it has been totally destroyed and is now on the life-support system.
Pakistan has the potential to be even better than many of these Asian Tiger economies in all spheres of life. But it needs a government that can deliver. The present government and the governments of recent past are not the ones who can deliver, rather they are driving down Pakistan on the path of disaster and destruction.