VZCZCXRO2537
PP RUEHCN RUEHDBU RUEHGH RUEHPW RUEHSL
DE RUEHBJ #0426/01 0540920
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 230920Z FEB 10              ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8205
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 000426 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP, SRAP, S/P, EEB 
STATE PASS USTR 
STATE PASS USAID 
 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
 
TAGS: EAID ECON EINV ETRD PGOV PREL CH PK AF
 
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN/CHINA:  FM QURESHI LAUDS PRC-PAKISTAN FRIENDSHIP 
 
BEIJING 00000426  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
This cable is Sensitive but Unclassified (SBU) and for official use 
only.  Not for transmission outside USG channels. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Pakistan's friendship with the PRC is a 
"cornerstone" of Pakistan's foreign policy and a "model for other 
countries to emulate," Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah 
Mahmood Qureshi said in a February 23 speech at a PRC think tank. 
He welcomed China's role as an intermediary between India and 
Pakistan and praised China's "constructive role" in Afghanistan.  FM 
Qureshi's speech stressed Afghanistan's strategic importance to 
Pakistan and Pakistan's geopolitical significance as the "fulcrum of 
Asia."  He announced a goal of increasing bilateral trade with the 
PRC to US$15 billion (from its 2009 level of US$6.8 billion) and 
welcomed Chinese companies to invest in major energy projects in 
Pakistan.  FM Qureshi expressed Pakistan's strong interest in 
membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), 
commenting that SCO Secretary General Imanaliev told him that the 
SCO was nearly finished working out criteria for new members to join 
the organization.  End Summary. 
 
China Cornerstone of Pakistan Foreign Policy 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) FM Qureshi emphasized that friendship with China was the 
"cornerstone" of Pakistan's foreign policy and "model for other 
countries with diverse systems to emulate" in a February 23 public 
address at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs-affiliated China 
Institute of International Studies, adding that the people of 
Pakistan would always stand with their "Chinese friends" just as the 
Chinese had always stood with Pakistan.  FM Qureshi reiterated 
Pakistan's support for a "one China" policy and noted that Pakistan 
condemned any attempt to undermine China's sovereignty and 
territorial integrity.  On counterterrorism, he expressed confidence 
that with the help of China, Pakistan would prevail against 
terrorism. 
 
Pakistan Welcomes Chinese Role in India-Pakistan Relations 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Pakistan was working seriously to improve relations with 
India and hoped for the early resumption of the Composite Dialogue, 
FM Qureshi said.  Pakistan appreciated China's "constructive role" 
in sending a special envoy to New Delhi and Islamabad following the 
Mumbai terrorist attacks and welcomed a future role for China in 
promoting reconciliation and understanding between Pakistan and 
India.  India must decide whether it would accept the PRC playing a 
third-party, intermediary role, according to FM Qureshi, but as far 
as Pakistan was concerned, the PRC had a "blank check" to play "as 
active of a role as it wished" in helping to resolve the 
India-Pakistan dispute. 
 
Pakistan Praises PRC Role in Afghanistan 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) China was playing a "very constructive role" in 
Afghanistan, Qureshi said in response to a journalist's question. 
He commended Chinese investment in Afghanistan for creating jobs and 
furthering the international community's goal of promoting economic 
development in Afghanistan. 
 
Afghanistan Important for Pakistan 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) FM Qureshi described a consensus within Pakistan that an 
independent, strong and stable Afghanistan was essential for 
Pakistan's own security and development.  He explained that 
international terrorism originated from Afghanistan and that Al 
Qaeda should be defeated in Afghanistan.  Any solution to the 
problems in Afghanistan must be Afghan-owned and Afghan-led, FM 
Qureshi suggested, adding that Pakistan stood ready to play a role 
in Afghan reconciliation efforts if called upon by Afghanistan.  FM 
Qureshi described a dramatic improvement in Pakistan's relations 
with Afghanistan, citing President Zardari's attendance at President 
Karzai's inauguration and the resumption of Tripartite Commission 
meetings involving military officials from Pakistan, Afghanistan and 
NATO as evidence. 
 
Pakistan as Fulcrum of Asia 
--------------------------- 
 
BEIJING 00000426  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) FM Qureshi declared that the 21st century would be Asia's 
century and noted that the shift in power from the Atlantic to the 
Pacific and from the United States to Asia was already underway. 
For geographic and historical reasons, Pakistan viewed itself as the 
fulcrum of Asia and wanted to be a part of evolving Asian 
architecture, according to FM Qureshi. 
 
Pakistan Seeks Increased Trade, PRC Investment 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶7. (SBU) FM Qureshi pledged to increase bilateral trade from US$6.8 
billion in 2009 to US$15 billion "in the coming years."  He praised 
China's economic assistance as "focused on tangible development that 
strengthens economic fundamentals as opposed to handouts or 
conditional aid that reinforce the vicious cycle of dependency." 
Noting that 120 Chinese companies and 10,000 Chinese workers were 
working in Pakistan, he welcomed Chinese companies "to take 
advantage of investment opportunities" such as the Thar Coal 
project, Diamer-Basha dam, Dasu dam and Bunji dam projects that 
would be launched in the near future. 
 
Pakistan Wants to Join SCO 
-------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Pakistan was "keen" to become to a SCO member and to "play 
a role in SCO commensurate with Pakistan's geopolitical status," FM 
Qureshi said in response to a journalist's question.  FM Qureshi 
said that he had reiterated Pakistan's interest in SCO membership in 
a February 22 meeting with SCO Secretary General Muratbek Imanaliev, 
who reportedly had told him that SCO was nearly finished working out 
the criteria for new members to join the organization. 
 
HUNTSMAN