China signs free trade pact with Pakistan, promises AWACS
Nov 25, 2006 - 1:46:55 AM
, Reviewed by: Priya Saxena
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Pakistan gave Hu the rare honour of addressing the nation live on state television in the evening. He became the first foreign leader to do so since then US president Bill Clinton in 2000.
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By RxPG News Service,
[RxPG] Islamabad, Nov 24 - China signed a free trade pact with close ally Pakistan Friday with a promise to supply radar-borne early warning and control system - to Islamabad.
A clutch of 18 agreements were signed between the two countries covering a large number of areas of cooperation as visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao assured his host President Pervez Musharraf of full cooperation.
Analysts said the FTA and the AWACS deals could have long-term impact on the South Asian region. Both Pakistan and India have expressed grave concern at each other's efforts to acquire AWACS in the past.
Pakistan Air Force - announced in a statement that it had agreed with Chinese Aviation Industries 'for long-term collaboration and co-development in the fields of aircraft manufacturing and other related fields including AWACS'.
It said the PAF and the Chinese Aviation Company, CETC, had signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Islamabad for the improvement and further development of Chinese Airborne Early Warning System.
'The same may be delivered to Pakistan in coming years,' the statement said.
While both sides reached 'complete unanimity' on all issues they discussed, they were subdued on nuclear technology for power generation, an issue on which Pakistan had hoped for the supply of six nuclear power reactors, each with 300 MGW capacity.
While none said this, it was evident from the statement of Pakistan's ambassador to Beijing, Salman Bashir, who told the state media that the 'most important' was the Free Trade Agreement.
Media reports about a possible deal on nuclear power reactors gained momentum when Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told the media last Saturday that Pakistan would meet its needs from 'friends'. He did not specify any country.
Last Monday, however, Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam described the media reports as 'speculative'. Analysts said this switch came apparently as Hu Jintao discussed civilian nuclear technology with India during his three-day visit ahead of the Pakistan visit.
They also pointed out that China, a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group -, was under pressure not to oblige its long-time ally with nuclear reactors at this juncture in view of the latter's record of proliferation in the past.
As for FTA, Pakistan had shown willingness for long to cement the economic ties.
At a joint press conference addressed by Hu and Musharraf, both countries agreed to expand ties in defence, nuclear, economic and trade sectors.
Musharraf said that President Hu Jintao's visit came at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 55th anniversary of their friendship. The Chinese president's visit would boost friendly ties, he added.
'China will continue to view its relations with Pakistan from a strategic and long-term perspective and we are ready to work together with Pakistan to raise our partnership to a new level,' Hu said.
The FTA pact could triple bilateral trade to $15 billion within five years and is set to be one of the key points of Hu's visit, the first by a Chinese leader to the Muslim nation in a decade.
China and Pakistan were 'good neighbours, close friends, trusted partners and dear brothers', Hu said ahead of the talks.
Pakistan gave Hu the rare honour of addressing the nation live on state television in the evening. He became the first foreign leader to do so since then US president Bill Clinton in 2000.
Hu and Musharraf met at the latter's modernist white marble presidency building in Islamabad for one-on-one talks on strategic and economic issues. Hu is also due for a red carpet welcome in Lahore, Pakistan's cultural capital Saturday.
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