Written in Urdu by Ejaz Mahar Translated by Jamal Panhwar
As the world keeps an acquisitive eye on the change of leadership in worlds emerging power, Pakistani leadership and military is rather at ease and is hopeful that the Pakistan-China friendship will get even stronger as changes happen in the region.
Pakistan and China started diplomatic relations in 1950, but the military cooperation between the two countries started somewhere in 1969. This cooperation is now 5 decades old but it has always been increasing.
Chairman of Pakistan China Institute and senator Syed. Mushahid Hussain says that the Pakistan China relations are tested and strengthened that’s why the new Chinese leadership will further increase these relation keeping in view the situation in Afghanistan and the region in general.
China was giving free arms to Pakistan from 1966 to 1980 as America had an embargo and Pakistan badly needed arms at that time. The interesting part of Pakistan China friendship is this that China is helping Pakistan stand on its own feet for arms and ammunition which is some thing that never happens in the west.
Senator Syed. Mushahid Hussain says China has provided technology to Pakistan for production of GF 17 thunder fighter planes for Pakistan air-force, for navy naval ships and for Army China has provided technology to produce tanks like Al-Khalid. At the moment Pakistan is producing many such arms.
Although new leadership of China has not been announced but Senator Syed. Mushahid Hussain says the new leader will be Xi Jinping?because his father was a senior leader of communist party and his wife is a general in Chinese liberation Army.
?I believe as the political and economic power is shifting from the west to East and it is being said that this century is of Asia and a progressive China’s new leadership will definitely want a to see a stronger Pakistan.
Air voice marshal Shehzad Chudhry believes there will be no change in relationship with Pakistan due to change of leadership he believes Pakistan China relations will further get strengthened and become even better.
Shahzad Chaudhry says that the arms from China is cheaper, and if some thing is not available with them they develop it and produce it using Chinese and western technology.
The relations of Pakistan have become 62 years old but there seems to be no appearance breakage, however China does have concerns over the militancy inclination in its western province of xinkiang, and the clues meeting with Pakistan. Admiral Shahzad Choudhry says that Xinjiang?province is a backward area of China it has not been developed like other areas of China, Muslim population oc Xinjiang?does have feelings of neglect and they may have taken their militancy stance from Pakistan but it is not such a big issue that Pakistan & China will stake their relations over it. China also knows that Pakistan it self is victim of the same problem.
On this mater Senator Syed. Mushahid Hussain says, Pakistan has taken measures to?address the concerns of China and two of the uiger leaders have also been killed in Pakistan, one Hassan Masoom was killed in 2003 who was leader of East Turkestan Islamic Movement and in 2007 Ali Turkestani was killed in a drone attack. There were also two moments when Pakistan captured some insurgents and handed them over to China.
Some people believe that China is the only country for which all of Pakistan’s political, religious and military leadership have the same stance and that is the reason China & Pakistan has always been friends in all types of governments in Pakistan.