ISLAMABAD, Aug 30 (APP): President Asif Ali Zardari’s recently concluded four‑day visit to China was not only unique ‑ in the sense that it was carried out in a purely business‑like manner ‑ but also important in every aspect, as he went to the two most developed provinces of China whose model of progress he wants to emulate in Pakistan.

Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces are considered China’s centre of economic development in almost every field including agriculture, marine and river fisheries, water management, investment and business.

Be it a visit to agriculture university of south China, a sprawling fish farm in Guangzhou or sugar cane research institute, President Zardari’s questions during the briefing were precise and related to how Pakistan could benefit from the Chinese research.

President Asif Ali Zardari time and again reiterated that he wants to adopt Chinese model of development for his country which needs disease resistant hybrid seeds of cotton, sugar cane and grains to overcome food shortage for a growing population.

Pakistan, which has a fertile soil, is losing it due to bad irrigation practices, and China’s cooperation for optimal use of water for irrigation will be of great help.

The four‑day visit did not have any political objectives which needed to be achieved as the two countries already enjoy extremely cordial ties with unanimity of views on bilateral, regional and international issue.

The visit was a part of ‘economic diplomacy’ with China to kick start the process of interaction with the relevant Chinese institutes and departments which really mattered to Pakistan.  

President Zardari has always maintained that economic and trade relations between the two neighbours did not match their cordial and friendly diplomatic ties.

It was in this context that eight memoranda of understanding were signed in the areas of education, trade, agriculture and small and medium sized dams.

“The visit was extremely successful and the centerpiece was the signing of over six MoUs in the field of agriculture and power generation,” spokesman to the President Farhatullah Babar said.

The Secretary of Communist Party of China (CPC), Guangdong province, who is the top most man in a province, during his meeting with President Zardari categorically stated that he will ensure that the Chinese departments honour their respective MoUs with Pakistani departments.

The President also stressed that cooperation for alternative energy resources should also be exploited with China.

The heads and top executives of some of Chinese companies, specializing in solar power generation, had a meeting with the President and their representatives will soon be coming to Pakistan for a feasibility study of making low cost solar power units for homes and factories.

In the conventional mode of power generation, an MoU for construction of Bunji dam, with a capacity of 7,000 megawatts of electricity was also signed.

A former Chinese diplomat, who has closely studied Sino‑Pak relations, said that President Zardari is showing the way forward for cooperation between the private sectors of the two countries.

“His approach is business like. The private entrepreneurs from Pakistan should take a lead and build a solid economic foundation for Pakistan on the path levelled by Mr Zardari during his visit to China,” the diplomat, requesting anonymity commented.

Since there are no diplomatic protocols involved during such visits, the private Chinese businesses top executives had a direct interaction with the President on opportunities that Pakistan can offer to them.

Some of China’s leading businesses, whose annual turn over runs into billions of dollars, attended a forum on investment arranged by Pakistan Board of Investment.

They were unanimous in their presentations that they want to help Pakistan in improving its economy by setting up either joint ventures with Pakistani firms or on their own.

Their tone and tenor was that of sincerity and commitment and they demonstrated it before none other than a head of state with whom they were having a direct interaction.

Normally during such visits, meetings with a country’s top hierarchy are not part of the schedule, yet due to the importance that China gives to its relations with Pakistan, their foreign minister had an audience with President Zardari.

During the meeting, which continued for well over an hour, the Chinese Foreign Minister advocated Pakistan’s right to peaceful use of nuclear energy and said the world should realize that Pakistan needs it to overcome power crisis which has crippled the economy.

President Zardari’s fourth visit to China since assuming office in October last year, proves that he is committed to take the relations between the countries to a new height not on the diplomatic front, but on economic and business level to steer the country out of the tight economic crunch.