Foreign propaganda won't shake solidity of Sino-Pak ties: Chinese newspaper
Source : Business Recorder Date : 08-08-2014
 |
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China enjoy a friendship based on trust, reciprocity and respect for each other and the third party propaganda will not sour their solid friendship, China's 'Global Times' has said.
The leading English newspaper of China in its published article says that over the period of 63 years, the both countries proved that the relations between them have gone beyond the traditional "diplomatic" ties, and are more than conventional "international relations."
The article says that in recent times, several media houses, most of which are Western-funded, are publishing material which is comprehensively focused on issues related to Pakistan-China relations.
The objective is to create understanding between the people of the two countries.
There have been many ups and downs in international affairs when one of Pakistan or China stood vulnerable and the other came to rescue. The nascent diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China have now grown into a strategic partnership.
The article says that Pakistan at the official as well as at the public level acknowledges its good relations with China. Reports of several surveys conducted by the different agencies reveal that more than 80 percent of the country believes China to be a true friend of Pakistan.
NATO and the US are disengaging from Afghanistan, and now the whole focus of the US is toward China. The world's second largest economy is progressing at a constant pace, and is expanding its trade and commercial ties all around the world.
The Pakistan-China strategic partnership is transforming into Pakistan-China economic interdependence.
The two countries are engaged in the construction of the China-Pakistan economic corridor, which would give China the shortest and most secure economic and energy transport route and also provide Pakistan with immense economic benefits.
China's dependence on the Strait of Malacca will end because of Pakistan, and it will no longer remain vulnerable to any energy blockade in a time of crisis.
The US, with the help of its allies in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region including Australia and India, is preparing to contain China in the region.
With the help of Pakistan, China has broken out of the circle of containment which the US was setting up for it.
Therefore, when the containment plan fails, the next move adopted by Western policymakers is to break the strong bond of friendship between Pakistan and China. Propaganda in the media is the easiest way to create misunderstandings.
Nonetheless, in the past 63 years the ties between Pakistan and China have become so strong that they cannot be harmed by propaganda tactics, the article says.
The two governments need to encourage people-to-people engagement on both sides, so that the bilateral friendship could be promoted to further levels.
The writer of the article suggests that people from all walks of life including businessman, traders, students, artists, and journalists, should be encouraged to interact with each other, so that the people of the two countries develop a better mutual understanding and are no longer vulnerable to propaganda.
The Global Times in another piece of writing by a researcher says that rather than creating fissures, the differences have only added to the strong bond that exists between China and Pakistan.
"The differences actually work like the charm of the colors of the rainbow, creating a sense of affinity and oneness that is the bedrock of the relations between the two nations," the article mentions.
It adds that it is because of this strong bond of friendship that despite the mantra of militant threats, we find a multitude of Chinese flocking the market in Islamabad and other cities in Pakistan without an iota of the fear that many other foreigners in Pakistan feel.
Even at the level of contacts between the governments, the ease of dealing with their counterparts in China have led to the expansion of political, military, economic, social and cultural relations with China.
These contacts have led the two to pursue a number of large- scale projects in defence, energy, industrial infrastructure, space technology, tourism, medicine, nuclear cooperation and engineering.
Currently, China is working on several large projects in the energy sector alone in Pakistani areas like Gilgit-Baltistan, Neelum-Jhelum hydropower with $12.6 billion and the Kohala hydropower project at a cost of $2.15 billion.
The article also mentions that China Three Gorges Corporation which is constructing the Diamer Bhasha dam on the Indus River with a total investment of $12.6 billion. China is investing $300 million in the housing and communication sectors, and it has also agreed to build the Chashma IV and V nuclear power plants in Pakistan.
In the context of taking the project of the Pakistan-China
economic corridor forward, both countries envisage not only a rail
link through the Karakoram Highway, but also the development of the
Gwadar deep sea port in Balochistan.
Today, there are several Chinese companies and institutes working closely with Pakistan to address its energy crisis despite severe security threats.
The Chinese leadership vision of a new Silk Road economic belt seems to have upset some powers who would like nothing better than to create roadblocks to this initiative coming to fruition.
"It is to the credit of China and the vision of its leadership that it has not been led astray by such propaganda," the article said.