ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has affirmed that Pakistan firmly upholds the One-China principle, stating, “Taiwan is part of China. There’s no other way.”
In an interview with Chinese state news agency Xinhua, President Zardari emphasized that Pakistan abides by the One-China principle as the country always chooses to stand on the right side of history.
Marking the 73rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China, Zardari reflected on the rapport between the previous generations’ leaders of the two countries. “My late father-in-law, Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, told the nation to look east, to look towards China,” he noted.
Zardari, who visited China nine times during his first term as Pakistani president, stated that the Pakistani people love China as “there is no conditionality between us.”
Reaffirming Pakistan’s stance on the One-China principle, Zardari rejected any form of “Taiwan-independence.” He reiterated, “Taiwan is part of China. There’s no other way,” adding that Pakistan will always stand with China and safeguard China’s core interests.
Commenting on the development of Gwadar Port, a starting point of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Zardari highlighted the significant progress made in Gwadar since the launch of the CPEC 11 years ago. He noted that the port will always welcome investors from all over the world.
Zardari also mentioned that Pakistan is encouraging more schools to adopt the Chinese language into their compulsory curriculum. Emphasizing the importance of strengthening people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, he called for more policies to facilitate the movement of people between the two nations.
Speaking highly of the development achievements made by the Chinese people, Zardari attributed China’s success to the continuation of policies. He expressed Pakistan’s hope to be more involved in China’s development process.
“Long live Pakistan-China friendship!” Zardari concluded in Chinese.
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