Zardari to explore avenues for agri, energy resources

WUHAN, China Feb 19 (APP): President Asif Ali Zardari who arrives here Friday on his second visit to China in four months will explore avenues for cooperation with China in the fields of energy and agriculture resources. The President will visit the world’s largest dam in Wuhan called Three Gorges Dam having a capacity to produce 22500 megawatt of electricity. Construction on the dam started in 1994 and at present there are 26 generators operating at the site. By 2011, six more generators will be added.

Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province and is one of China’s biggest cities.

Chinese and Pakistani officials are attaching great importance to the President’s visit as FTA in services sector between the two sides is also expected to be concluded.

Pakistan’s ambassador to China Masood Khan has said that negotiations for FTA in services sector had already been concluded.

“The time is ripe to ink the agreement during President Zardari’s visit,” he added.

The year 2008 saw frequent high level visits and robust growth of bilateral relations as President Zardari chose to pay his first state visit to China in October 2008 and held very successful talks with President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and other top Chinese leaders.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani came here twice, once to attend the opening Ceremony of 2008 Beijing Olympics and then to represent his country in 7^th ASEM summit.

Pakistan’s Army Chief, and Chairman Joint Chiefs of staff, besides Chief Minister of Punjab, Speaker Sindh Assembly, and young parliamentarians also visited China.

Many high and ministerial level delegations from China visited Pakistan.

During visit of President Zardari last year, Pakistan and China signed 12 agreements for cooperation in agriculture, trade, science and technology, radio and television, telecommunications satellite, sports (cricket) etc and now both sides were engaged to translate these into reality.

State and provincial leaders will greet the President in Hubei and Shanghai.

Besides, Wuhan, President Zardari will also visit Yichang and Shanghai, the regions that are industrial hubs of China to observe country’s development in agriculture, use of hybrid seeds, science and technology.

Pakistan and China are closely and successfully cooperating with each other in counter terrorism and have achieved very positive results to fight this menace.

The bilateral cooperation in this field will continue.

In view of the importance of President Zardari’s visit, the Chinese media has made a number of requests for his interviews during which he will dilate upon the relations between the two countries. He will also tell the Chinese media about the importance which Pakistan attaches to its friendship with China whose foundation was laid by late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.