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FACTBOX-Pakistan's relations with old ally China
21 Aug 2009 10:46:40 GMT
 Source: Reuters
Aug 21 (Reuters) - Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari began a five-day visit to China on Friday, his fourth visit to the Asian giant since he took office last year. [ID:PEK257597]

Soon after assuming power, Zardari announced he would visit China every three months, reflecting the strong ties the two countries have enjoyed for decades.

Following are some facts about relations between the two old allies:

WHAT IS THE BACKGROUND TO RELATIONS?

* China is known as Pakistan's "all-weather friend" and the close relations have been underpinned by suspicion of their common neighbour, India.

* China is Pakistan's main supplier of conventional arms and provides hundreds of millions of dollars of development finance.

* Analysts believe China supported Pakistan's missile and nuclear weapons programme for decades. China also helped Pakistan build its main nuclear power generation facility at Chashma, in Punjab province, and is helping with the construction of a second nuclear power plant.

* China also helped build Gwadar port on Pakistan's Arabian Sea coast, partly with a view to opening up an energy and trade corridor from the Gulf, across Pakistan to western China.

* The United States is also a close ally of Pakistan, but analysts say Pakistan sees China as a counterweight to the West.

WHAT DOES ZARDARI HOPE TO GET OUT OF THE VISIT?

* Pakistani officials say Zardari's visit is aimed at reviewing progress made on development projects being undertaken in Pakistan with the China's help.

* Memoranda of understanding on cooperation in agriculture, power generation and health will be signed during the visit. Zardari will also explore possibilities of greater cooperation in other fields, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

* Zardari's spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, said this week Zardari was keen on getting China's help to mine coal in Sindh province to meet Pakistan's growing energy needs.

* Zardari would also aim to find ways to expand Chinese investment and trade, Babar said.

* Annual two-way trade is worth $7 billion, according to Pakistan, and the two countries have set a target of $15 billion by 2011.

OTHER ISSUES

* China looks to mainly Muslim Pakistan to take action against militants from the western Chinese region of Xinjiang who have slipped in to Pakistan. In July, deadly riots broke out between Muslim Uighurs and Han Chinese in Xinjiang, killing 197 people. Pakistan deplored the riots, saying it opposed any attempt to hinder China's progress and would not allow any activity that would damage China's interests.

* The safety of Chinese nationals working in Pakistan is a major concern for China. Several Chinese workers have been killed in attacks in Pakistan in recent years, in Baluchistan province in the south and in the northwest. Two Chinese telecommunication engineers were kidnapped by militants linked to al Qaeda and the Taliban in northwestern Pakistan on the Afghan border last year. One escaped and the other was later freed. (Reporting by Zeeshan Haider; Editing by Robert Birsel and Alex Richardson)


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