AsiaNet-Pakistan Premier Editorial Content and Press Release Distribution Service
Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari has stressed the need for Pakistan and China to deal with the world economy together and act in accordance with the new global demands. In an interview with China People’s Daily Online, the President said as the world is settling in new situation, Pakistan and China need to find new comfort zone for further collaboration in all dimensions. President Zardari termed growth of China as emergence of a new Japan, the largest economy in the world and added that all friends of China would be part of that rise.
He said Pakistan and China have strong bonds of friendship and mentioned that both the countries are the home to the old civilization of Buddhism.
Zardari said Pakistan established diplomatic relations with China at a time when the latter was not open in relations with the outside world.
He said the theory of looking towards the East owed to the founder of Pakistan People’s Party and the former Prime Minister of Pakistan Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
The President said he felt that there was room for more interaction with China. He said he had been visiting China since 1988, even before assuming the office of President of Pakistan. He mentioned that Chinese language had been introduced as an optional subject in schools in Sindh province.
Referring to the Karakorum Highway damaged by the floods, President Zardari said Pakistan and China were working on enhancing the road and railway connectivity.
He said the governments of both countries had the determination of increasing their bilateral trade by more than 10 billion US dollars.
President Zardari also extended new year greetings to China on start of its lunar year of Dragon. China flagship newspaper People’s Daily and its website People’s Daily Online conducted separate exclusive interviews with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani.
Once the schedule of the interview was announced on People’s Daily Online, it caught widespread attention from Chinese citizens, who put forward thousands of topics and questions during quite a short time and sent their best wishes to Pakistani people on the website.
For more information, contact:
Farhatullah Babar
Spokesperson to the President
Tell: +9251 920 4530 and +9251 920 4974
Email: farhat.babar@president.gov.pk