Growth of Sino-Pakistani ties

cctv.com 12-15-2004 12:32

China and Pakistan have maintained friendly links over the past 53 years. The two countries share identical or at least similar views on a range of international issues with Islamabad offering support to Beijing on many major issues.

At the beginning of the 1970s, the US started searching for ways to contact China. The then US President Richard Nixon asked Pakistan, which maintains good relations with China as well as the US, to serve as a messenger for the two countries.

Former Pakistani Ambassador to UN Agha Shahi said, 鈥淣ixon said Pakistan could act as intermediate because Pakistan had established a very good and close Relations with China. Nixon wanted to keep this open policy a secret until Chinese agreed to it, so he gave President Yahya Khan a letter or message. After that, Yahya Khan went to Beijing and talked with Premier Zhou Enlai.鈥

Later, during Henry Kissinger's secret visit to Beijing, Islamabad became his switching station.

Pakistan also played the bridging role in the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Saudi Arabia.

Former Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Zhou Gang said, 鈥淪ince Pakistan is a Muslim country, it maintains good relations with Saudi Arabia, which is also a Muslim country. In the 70s and 80s, when China still didn鈥檛 have diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan came to China to bridge these two countries.鈥

From 1965 to 1971, Pakistan took the initiative to introduce a resolution to restore China鈥檚 legitimate seat in the United Nations.

And China has benefited indirectly from Pakistan's efforts to fight terrorism within its own borders.

Commenting on the Sino-Pakistan relations, Chinese experts highlight Pakistan's efforts.

Zhou Gang said, 鈥淭he main features of this relationship are the mutual trust, mutual respect, the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. So this friendship has withstood the test of time, despite the change of government in respective countries.鈥

Sino-Pakistan relations have not only passed the test of time, but continue to strengthen. And it's important now to carry the traditional friendship onto the new generation and continue to boost the relationship.

Editor:Hu  Source:CCTV.com