Hu begins four-day visit to Pakistan
Nov 24, 2006 - 1:17:44 AM
, Reviewed by: Priya Saxena
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Following his reception by Musharraf and an evening banquet, he was due to hold formal talks with his counterpart Friday and make a televised address to the people of Pakistan.
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By DPA,
[RxPG] Islamabad, Nov 23 - Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Pakistan Thursday on a four-day state visit that is due to produce a raft of 'unprecedented' bilateral agreements and talks on expanding cooperation in nuclear power generation.
President Pervez Musharraf received him at the Islamabad international airport with a 21-gun salute and honour guard.
Making the first visit by a Chinese president in 10 years, Hu arrived here from India where he and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh this week unveiled broad plans to promote bilateral civilian nuclear cooperation. They also pledged to double trade to $40 billion by 2010.
Before travelling to Pakistan, Hu stressed that China did not seek any 'selfish gains' in South Asia. Beijing was ready to play a 'constructive role in the promotion of peace' in the region and supported the recent conciliatory moves between Islamabad and New Delhi, he said.
Reports have been circulating that China will now build six 300-megawatt nuclear power plants in Pakistan to offset the US refusal to extend the pending US-India nuclear deal on civilian energy to Pakistan.
However, the Pakistani foreign ministry has called such reports 'speculative'.
Under earlier agreements, China has already completed one nuclear plant for Pakistan and is currently constructing another with a 350-megawatt capacity.
Hu's visit is expected to mark a high point of events commemorating 55 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, according to the ministry.
Besides inking agreements in the military-technical, social and cultural spheres, the two sides are expected to sign a free trade agreement and a Chinese investment package worth up to 5 billion US dollars.
The Chinese state news agency called the whole package 'unprecedented' in its scope.
The Chinese leader arrived with his wife Liu Yongqing and a high-powered delegation.
Following his reception by Musharraf and an evening banquet, he was due to hold formal talks with his counterpart Friday and make a televised address to the people of Pakistan.
Hu will also travel to the city of Lahore, Pakistan's cultural centre. But security concerns will likely prevent a visit to Gwadar in Pakistan's troubled southwestern Balochistan province, where a strategic port is being built with Chinese assistance.
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