CHINA and Pakistan concluded nearly US$15 billion worth of deals Saturday, as Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said China would never give up on the troubled country.
Business leaders formalized paperwork adding to the deals worth US$20 billion signed Friday under blanket security at Islamabad s five-star Marriott Hotel, where a huge suicide truck bomb killed 60 people in 2008.
Boosting trade and investment with Pakistan have been the main focus of the first visit in five years by a Chinese premier to the country that is on the front line of the U.S.-led war on Al-Qaeda.
We signed 18 agreements today worth close to US$15 billion and we hope to grow further together in coming years, said Sultan Ahmad Chawla, president of Pakistan s chamber of commerce and industry.
According to a list handed out to journalists, the biggest deal was US$6.5 billion to develop wind and solar power.
Pakistan suffers from a debilitating energy crisis and produces only 80 percent of the electricity it needs.
Although not specifically mentioned, talks were expected on China building a one-gigawatt nuclear power plant as part of Pakistani plans to produce 8,000 megawatts of electricity by 2025 to make up its energy shortfall.
We have established an all-weather friendship and engaged in all-round cooperation. The China-Pakistan relationship has withstood the test of time and changes in the international landscape, Wen told a lunch in his honor.
Under no circumstances will we give up on our commitment to pursuing this partnership.
Wen pledged China s full support in the wake of the floods, which affected 21 million people, saying China would help the country lay a new solid foundation for you to achieve self-owned, stable and sustainable development.
Before arriving in Islamabad, Wen visited India, where he and his 400-strong delegation signed deals that will see trade double to US$100 billion a year by 2015.
(SD-Agencies)
