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Zardari on maiden China visit

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari heads to China on Tuesday, where he will reaffirm his government’s resolve to take bilateral ties to “new heights” and seek to silence critics at home that he endangered the friendship with Beijing by going to the U.S. first.

In response to the criticism, the Foreign Ministry has been at pains to emphasise that the visit to the U.S. was primarily in connection with the U.N. General Assembly, a multilateral event, and his meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush was on the sidelines of the summit.

“[The China visit] is the first official bilateral visit of President Asif Ali Zardari abroad and that too to a country with which we have always enjoyed a high degree of understanding, trust and goodwill. The visit demonstrates the government’s resolve to take this time-tested relationship to new heights,” said the Foreign Ministry in a statement.

“The President’s visit will mark yet another important step forward in reinforcing the all-weather friendship between the two countries and open up new avenues for bilateral cooperation.”

Mr. Zardari’s delegation for the three-day visit includes the Foreign, Defence and Finance Ministers.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi arrived in Beijing on Monday and held talks with his Chinese counterpart to pave the way for Mr. Zardari’s interactions with President Hu Jintao and other leaders.

Mr. Zardari is expected to make a pitch for assistance to pull Pakistan out of its economic woes. Pakistan has also said on occasion that it may seek a civilian nuclear pact with China, similar to the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal, to meet its energy requirements.Earlier, Mr. Zardari came in for strong criticism immediately after his election when he put off a reportedly scheduled visit to Beijing, opting to go to the U.S. instead first. But Foreign Ministry officials said then the dates for the China visit were still being finalised.

Media analysts said China, which has stood by Pakistan through thick and thin, was already miffed that the former President, Pervez Musharraf, chose not to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics as the impeachment moves against him gathered strength.

Mr. Zardari, who was scheduled to attend the Olympic Games in his capacity as leader of the Pakistan People’s Party, also did not go, sending his children in his place, while Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani stood in for General (retd.) Musharraf. But Foreign Ministry officials denied there was any attempt to downgrade relations with China.

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