IPS Strengthens Relations with Chinese Institutes
IPS gives great importance to the study and furthering of Pak-China relations and cooperation. Its project on the China study conducts research, interacts with Chinese institutes, exchange research findings with them and also keep liaison with Chinese government. Over the years, IPS has built strong links with Chinese institutes. The China Study Program of IPS is headed directly by the Director General, Khalid Rahman.
To this effect, China Center for Contemporary World Studies invited Mr. Khalid Rahman to give input on the internal political situation of the Middle East in its conference on “Internal Factors Affecting the Situation of the Middle East and the Trends of their Development”, which was held at Beijing on April 26. DG Khalid Rahman also presented a paper on the topic at the conference.
The next month, China Council for Promotion of International Trade also invited the DG IPS to participate in Sino-Pak Economic and Trade Forum which was held at Chengdu, Sichuan Province, from May 22 to 27.
DG represented IPS in the forum and participated in a seminar on “Sino-Pak Economic and Trade Cooperation: Reality and Future” where he presented a paper on “Pakistan’s Security Situation and Sino-Pak Relations”.
Mr. Rahman was also invited to “China and Pakistan Land Route Trade Convenience Development Forum” held during Third Kashgar Central and South Asia Commodity Fair, Xinjiang, China, on June 30, 2007 where he presented a paper.
In the next month, from July 23 to 27, the DG headed a delegation from Islamabad to China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR) at Beijing to exchange views with the Chinese scholars on the subject, “Role of Religion and Religious Politics in Pakistan”.
The Chinese scholars showed keen interest in understanding Pakistan’s internal politics with regard to the perspective of religious political parties.
The delegates also discussed the issues related to the areas of mutual interest and cooperation on the basis of the understanding. Earlier, a delegation from CICIR had visited IPS on April 3 and held meeting with the IPS research team.
On another occasion, the new Ambassador of China, H.E. Mr. Luo Zhaohui, visited IPS along with his four colleagues on May 21 and met with DG, Khalid Rahman.
IPS Research Coordinators, Mr. Ershad Mehmud and Mr. Saleem Zafar, were also present at the meeting. The participants exchanged views on Pak-China relations and economic cooperation.
They appreciated Pak-China relations but also pointed towards four major imbalances, which cause hiccups in the pace of growth of their relations: Both countries enjoy strong government to government contacts but people to people contacts are relatively marginal; they enjoy strong strategic and political relations, but carry out lesser trade exchanges; even within economic relations, there is a noteworthy magnitude of trade imbalance; and a number of MoUs and agreements have been signed, but the mechanism of implementing them is weaker.
