Spokesman Briefings

Date: 12/12/2007

Record of Press Briefing on 12 December, 2007

Opening Statement 

          Mr. Wang Yi, Senior Vice Foreign Minister of China is visiting Pakistan from 11-13 December 2007 as Special Envoy of the Chinese Government. The visit is part of the high level exchanges that are a unique characteristic of Pak-China relations. Such visits provide dynamism and strength to our bilateral relationship. The visit of Mr. Wang Yi has provided an opportunity to the two sides to reaffirm their time tested ties of friendship and strategic partnership. 

          Mr. Wang Yi held in depth discussions with Foreign Minister Mr. Inam ul Haque and Foreign Secretary Mr. Riaz Mohammad Khan. Both sides expressed complete satisfaction over the state of close bilateral relations. Based on the popular ethos of the people, these ties of abiding friendship have withstood changes in regional and global environment.  

They reviewed, at length, the on-going cooperation between Pakistan and China in diverse fields and resolved to further strengthen their cooperative partnership in defence, economic, commercial, cultural, educational, scientific and technical fields. Government of Pakistan’s gratitude was conveyed for the support and assistance being extended by China for several projects of national significance.  

Mr. Wang Yi, on behalf of Chinese President Hu Jintao, conveyed China’s strong support for policies being pursued under President Musharraf’s leadership. He added that China had always supported Pakistan and would wish to see a vibrant, peaceful and stable Pakistan.  

          The visiting Senior Vice Foreign Minister also called on the Minister for Interior. They exchanged Instruments of Ratification of the Extradition Treaty which was signed in November 2003 during President Musharraf’s visit to China. 

          The Chinese Vice Foreign Minister, accompanied by the Foreign Secretary, is visiting Northern Areas today where China has undertaken a number of projects. 

          Mr. Wang Yi will call on the President and the Prime Minister on 13 December.

Question/Answer Session 

Q:   Did the visiting Chinese dignitary show any concern about the imposition of emergency in Pakistan? 

A:   No, the Vice Foreign Minister did not express any such concern. However, Pakistan side did brief him on the political developments.  

Q:   Did Pakistan take up the issue of BLA as a terrorist organization recently with the British Government? 

A:   I understand BLA had already been declared a terrorist organization some time back. 

Q:   Do you have any information about the background of arrest of BLA activists in UK? 

A:   We are aware of their arrest but the Spokesman of the Interior Ministry will be in a better position to respond to this question. 

Q:   Two years earlier we saw the Pakistani Foreign Minister shake hands with the Israeli Foreign Minister and now Pakistan voted for the UN resolution introduced by Israel which has been boycotted by the Arab countries. Does this denote something new? 

A:   The resolution you are talking about, I think, is the one which was adapted yesterday by the UN. It was a technical resolution, which had no political agenda. It is entitled “Agricultural Technology for Development”. 118 countries voted in favor of it with 29 abstentions.  No country voted against it. 74 countries co-sponsored it; Israel was not alone in moving it. 

A number of OIC countries, including Turkey, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Bangladesh and Senegal, either co-sponsored this resolution or supported it. The resolution deals with transfer of agricultural technology and know-how to developing countries with an aim to eradicate poverty. The voting on the resolution has no impact on Pakistan’s policy towards Israel. We have been sitting in, or chairing, meetings in the UN where Israel was also a member. Supporting a resolution co-sponsored by a country like Israel which is not recognized by Pakistan does not mean our policy has changed. Our vote for the resolution should be seen in its right context. Let me tell you that no member country voted against the resolution. 

Q:   Update us on the progress of IPI? What is the stance of the Indian Government on it? 

A:    Technical talks were held in Islamabad on 5-8 December followed by the meeting of the Working Group meeting which ended just yesterday. It was a 2 day session where a number of issues were discussed and a lot of ground covered. The two sides will be meeting again on 17 December in Tehran. India is not a part of the dialogue at this stage but we hope that it will join the process at a latter stage. 

Q:   Give us information about the Foreign Minister’s statement in Delhi where he mentioned that Manmohan Singh will visit Pakistan next year and the issue of Wullar Barrage and Siachin are ready for signing? Also with regard to the extradition treaty with China, are there any Pakistani prisoners in China, or any Chinese nationals in Pakistani prisons, who are required by either country? 

A:   The Foreign Minister’s statement in India was misreported. Foreign Minister Inam-ul-Haque did not mention any time frame for the Indian Prime Minister’s visit. Similarly, negotiations are going on the issues you mentioned and Pakistan is hopeful that we will reach a resolution of these issues. 

I am not aware of any Chinese in Pakistani prisons who are wanted by China or any Pakistanis in Chinese prison who are specifically wanted by us. However, there are some Pakistanis in Chinese prisons and our Embassy is providing them consular access. 

Q:   Why the need for this treaty with a friendly country?  Is there any particular reason for signing it? 

A:   We have Extradition Treaty with other friendly countries too, now we have signed it with China also. There is no particular reason for signing it at this time. 

Q:   Have you received any requests from foreign observers regarding the upcoming elections? 

A:   We did. We have already issued some two dozen visas and are working on others. Hopefully, by next week we will be able to tell you who is coming and from which countries and organizations. 

Q:   Yesterday at the eve of testing of cruise missile a strong statement was made that Pakistan’s nuclear assets are safe. Does Pakistan perceive any threat from any country concerning that? Is there any specific reason as to why such a strong statement was made after the testing this time? 

A:   Since last 3 weeks we have been discussing this issue from this podium. A number of articles had appeared in the international media insinuating that the assets aren’t safe and their control should be taken over. Our basic reaction in this room, which was reported all over the world, was that the strategic assets are safe under a strong control and command system and elaborate layers of security. No country in the world has told us that our assets are not safe. In fact, foreign governments are on record stating that our assets are safe and there is no risk of their falling in wrong hands. Since there were media reports it was considered appropriate to remind the world, and take our media in confidence, that our assets were completely safe and there was no danger of their falling in wrong hands. 

Q:   You said the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister is visiting Northern Areas where there are many Chinese aided projects. Can you identify one? Also there are speculative reports that the Chinese will sign an agreement for 4-5 nuclear power plants during this visit. Can you tell us about that? 

A:   Chinese companies are working on a number of projects. Karakoram Highway is one such project whose reconstruction was also aided by the Chinese.  

I am not aware if the nuclear cooperation is part of the agenda of this visit. 

Q:   There was a time in Pakistan when our Heads of State said that Islamic ideology formed the basis of our foreign policy but gradually we have seen the secularization of our foreign policy with Pakistan slowly and quietly inching towards recognition of Israel. Similarly, Pakistani territories are under Indian occupation and we are quiet on that. We call the Composite Dialogue an important process while our territories remain under Indian occupation with the result that Indian military power is growing by leaps and bounds. What are your comments? 

A:   Regarding Israel I just said that there is no change in our policy so I am surprised that you asked that question again. Being on the same side of the resolution does not mean we are recognizing Israel. I will remind you that for a decade, Israel voted for the resolutions asking for withdrawal of Soviet troops which was co-sponsored by Pakistan. Nobody raised the question that we were inching closer to recognition of Israel. There are probably a thousand examples where Pakistan and Israel voted on the same side or sat in meetings where Israel is a member and we chaired the meetings and they called us “Mr. or Madam Chair” and we responded. There is nothing substantially different in our support for a resolution co-sponsored  by 78 States on transfer of agriculture technology and know-how to developing countries to eradicate poverty. Pakistan’s position on Israel remained what it was before and that policy continues because it represents sentiments of the people of Pakistan. 

Regarding India, What you are suggesting is that we are leaving occupied territories under the control of India. We are not doing that. We are negotiating the dispute. There is nothing wrong in negotiations. Our principled position remains based on the UN resolutions on Kashmir. So there is no change in our policy either towards Israel or India. 

Q:   Some of the important decision makers of Pakistan’s nuclear hierarchy were part of the meetings with the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister yesterday. Our camera covered the initial glimpses of the meeting. Is the visit related to the Pakistan-China nuclear cooperation? What are the details of the extradition treaty which was to be signed between Pakistan and UK by which Murri has been arrested by British police and Rashid Rauf was to be sent to UK? 

A:   Pakistan China cooperation for peaceful use of nuclear energy has been going on for a long time and that will continue. I am not aware we are discussing nuclear cooperation with Senior Vice Foreign Minister Mr. Wang Yi. The meetings I know about have not discussed this issue.