BOAO  - Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Sunday made a strong pitch for China to boost its support to hydropower and civilian nuclear projects in Pakistan, as the country grapples with a growing energy crisis.
In a separate meeting with Iranian vice president, Gilani said Pakistan would purchase 1,100MW of electricity from Iran. He said Islamabad was interested in buying not only gas but also oil from the Islamic country.
Gilani, in his talks with Chinese Executive Vice Premier Li Keqiang called for setting up an umbrella “Pakistan-China Power Cooperation”, which would include “specialists and entities” in a range of energy fields.
Gilani also sought to assuage increasing Chinese concerns over terrorism spilling across the border into China’s far-western Xinjiang region, which has seen recent violence, blamed by the regional government there on terrorists trained in camps in Pakistan. Gilani told the vice premier that his government was “committed to fighting terrorism in all its forms”. He was meeting with Mr Li, who is expected to take over from Premier Wen Jiabao later this year, on the sidelines of the Boao Forum, a three-day government-supported annual conclave – marketed here as “Asia’s Davos” – which takes place in the southern Hainan province.
The prime minister singled out energy cooperation between the two countries as being of particular importance in Sunday’s talks, underscoring Islamabad’s keenness on securing greater Chinese investment in hydropower, and particularly civilian nuclear energy projects, with the US and other countries appearing cold to Pakistani calls for support. He said Pakistan sought Chinese cooperation “in the full gamut of energy” from hydropower and coal to nuclear, describing the recently set up joint energy working group as “an encouraging landmark”.
State-run Chinese nuclear energy firms are currently in talks to set up three 1,000MW nuclear power reactors in Pakistan – two at the Karachi power complex and another reactor at Chashma, where Chinese firms have already built two reactors and are in the process of constructing two more.
Gilani also called for “the early materialisation” of an MoU signed between Pakistan and the China EXIM Bank in 2009 for US $700 million credit for building dams in Pakistan, which has been slow to take off. Gilani said Pakistan would appreciate if China could help it in the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project and on the construction of small and medium-sized dams.
He sought cooperation from the Chinese side on the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project.
Pakistan and China agreed to stand with each other `in all circumstances’ and vowed to uphold their sovereignty and territorial integrity at all costs.
“China’s friend is our friend, and China’s enemy is ours,” Gilani assured the Chinese leader, in a meeting held at the State Guest House here.
Gilani said Pakistan considers China’s security as its own security and supports China’s position on Taiwan, Tibet and Xinqiang.
Li categorically said that China would support Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in every situation.
“No matter what changes take place at international level, we will uphold Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said, and added “Pakistan and China are strategic partners that respect and trust each other at equal level”.
He said China supported Pakistan’s role in regional and international affairs.
Gilani said Pakistan was grateful to the Chinese support for upholding Pakistan’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
He said his government gave high importance to the security of Chinese citizens in Pakistan, and added that he was personally monitoring the process to provide them extensive protection.
He condemned the recent terrorist incident in China’s city of Kashgar and said Pakistan considered East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) as a common threat to both countries.
Gilani said the Pak-China friendship was based on mutual trust and respect, and remained the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy.
He said Pakistan was committed to fighting terrorism in all its forms and added that “We are pursuing the war against terrorism in our own interest and I am glad that the world hailed my 3D policy of Dialogue, Development and Deterrence.”
The prime minister said Pakistan greatly valued China’s economic assistance and wished to promote closer collaboration in agriculture, irrigation, energy, infrastructure development, railways and security sectors.
Gilani said Pakistan and China had the potential to further enhancing their trade ties and called for channelising joint efforts to meet the target of US $15 billion bilateral trade in next three to four years.
He said with joint efforts, Pak-China bilateral trade last year increased by 22 percent to US $10.6 billion. He said his government derived satisfaction as the country’s exports to China had doubled from US $1 billion in 2008 to US $2.1 billion in 2011.
He said the five-year Economic Trade Relation Plan is targeting projects that would stimulate social development in Pakistan.
He said Pakistan wanted to maintain friendly relations with all its neighbours including China, India and Afghanistan. He mentioned resumption of composite dialogue with India and said Pakistan wanted a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.
Gilani said Pakistan was mindful of the importance of maintaining a working and constructive engagement with the US but would not compromise on its sovereignty and national dignity.
He referred to his meeting with US President Barack Obama in Seoul, where he apprised him that Pakistan’s parliament would decide about the parameters of relations with the US.
The Chinese executive vice premier said his country wanted to further enhance the existing friendly relations with Pakistan in diverse fields.
Gilani also met Iranian Vice President Javad Mohammadizadeh in Boao.
He said Pakistan would purchase 1,100MW of electricity from Iran in a bid to overcome its energy shortage.
The electricity would be supplied from Iran to Pakistan’s Balochistan province.
Gilani said Pakistan wanted cordial relations with all of its neighbours, and that Islamabad was interested in buying not only gas but also oil from Iran.
He said Pakistan supported “peaceful use” of nuclear technology by Iran, adding that he backed enhanced energy and trade ties with Tehran, which is facing international sanctions.
Gilani said realisation of Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project would open new vistas of cooperation. He stressed for increasing trade between the two countries up to five billion dollars.
In an interview to China Radio International, the prime minister said US drone attacks violated the sovereignty of Pakistan and had created a negative impact.
Gilani stressed the drone attacks created misunderstandings between the Pakistani people and the US. He said the government had united the religious and political parties against terrorism and extremism.
He said the Asian countries should use platforms like Boao Forum for in-depth cooperation.
About the theme of the current session of the Boao Forum for Asia - “Asia in a Changing World: towards a healthy and sustainable development “, Gilani said, the world is going through change and it faced an economic crisis which affected many countries.
He said despite difficult economic conditions, the performance of the Asian countries was impressive.