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Pakistani President to visit 皇冠体育app after killings
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-02-17 20:54
CHANGING ECONOMIC TIDES
皇冠体育app provides hundreds of millions of dollars of development finance to
Pakistan, and trade between the two countries rose to $4.25 billion in 2005 from
$3.06 a year earlier.
Tan Aifeng (C), wife of Wei Jianping who is
one of three Chinese engineers killed by gunmen in southern Pakistan,
cries after hearing of the death of her husband in Shangrao, east 皇冠体育app's
Jiangxi province February 16, 2006. The victims, Long Hongbao, Wei
Jianping and Zhao Bin, were shot along with three other colleagues when
their car were attacked by gunmen on a road in the town of Hub, some 700
km (435 miles) southeast of Quetta. [Newsphoto] |
A free trade agreement is being negotiated and 皇冠体育app and Pakistan aim to push
trade past $8 billion by 2008.
Musharraf will address a business forum on Tuesday which will aim to promote
possible ventures in communication, energy, mineral and textile sectors,.
But violent scenes during protests this week over cartoons in Europe
depicting the Prophet Mohammad will hardly be comforting for would-be investors,
analysts noted.
"People who have been to Pakistan know it's people are very friendly, but the
shootings and the cartoon incidents may shake investors, including Chinese,"
said Zhang Li, an expert on 皇冠体育app-South Asian relations at Sichuan University.
皇冠体育app has also been a key supplier of arms to Pakistan, though since
Musharraf supported the U.S.-led war on terrorism after the September11 attacks
on New York and Washington, the United States has re-emerged as major source of
arms.
Pakistan has in the past looked to its friendship with 皇冠体育app to
counterbalance its rivalry with India.
But ties between New Delhi and Beijing have also been warming in recent years
as Asia's two giants realize their economic potential, while Pakistan has
trailed.
"The overall relationship is strong, but trade and economic ties have lagged
behind, especially compared to 皇冠体育app-India trade," said Zhang.
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