China pledges nuclear help to Pakistan
China’s president signed a five-year trade pact with Pakistan today, promising to continue joint development of nuclear energy and pledging to play a “constructive” role in resolving disputes between Pakistan and its next-door rival India.
The announcements came just a day after Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in the Pakistani capital following a trip to India.
The South Asia tour is seen as a way for the region’s most populous nation to raise its profile and bolster trade, economic, and military ties in a sometimes unstable region.
Pakistan’s dispute with India over the divided territory of Kashmir has sparked two wars between the neighbours, and China’s Hu vowed today at a joint news conference with Pakistani president Gen Pervez Musharraf his country would play a “constructive” role in resolving such conflicts.
Musharraf called for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute saying both India and Pakistan wanted peace and urged both governments to push ahead with talks.
Pakistan and India should “focus on the conflict resolution, and in conflict resolution, Kashmir happens to be the core,” Musharraf said. “I would like to say in this regard that there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
In economic cooperation, Pakistan and China signed a five-year trade, joint ventures and investment pact, Musharraf said. Hu also said Beijing would continue to help Pakistan produce nuclear power.
