March 18, 2013 . 5

President Asif Zardari telephoned new Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday, and congratulated him on his assumption of office on March 14. It was right that he should do so, for the two countries have a dynamic all-weather friendship, and the conversation was not limited to diplomatic platitudes, but also included discussions of substantial issues, which reflect the strength of the relationship, which has been characterized as an ‘all-weather friendship’. According to presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar on Sunday, the Pakistani President spoke about the takeover by a Chinese firm of the maintenance and operation of Gwadar port, which was awarded the contract only recently, after the original operator, the Port of Singapore, backed out. Gwadar also gains significance from the fact that Iran has agreed to build an oil refinery there. As China is a major importer of Iranian oil, it is obvious where this refinery’s products would go.

However, though Gwadar indicates how the relationship will develop over time, it does not define the relationship. That is built on China understanding clearly Pakistan’s developmental needs, and its attempts to meet them. China has never played politics with Pakistan’s needs, even if they have included its defence needs, and has not behaved like other world powers, which have always tied strings to whatever help they would offer. It is also worth noting that China has followed Pakistan in resisting Indian propaganda on Kashmir.
China has its own problems in its south-west with India, and thus has had experience of Indian duplicity of its own, making it realize that Pakistan’s claims of it are correct. However, it is not a one-way friendship, for as the JF-17 project has shown, Pakistan also contributes its share in this friendship.
While President Zardari not just invited President Xi to Pakistan, but also mentioned how he had made his own nine visits since taking office. This is healthy, for at this juncture, Pakistan needs to grow even closer to its friends. As Pakistan is also a friend on which China relies, its friendship has become more important at this juncture, when it is surrounded by challenges.

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...her-friendship