00:00Leah Laudy is Pakistan's former ambassador to the United States and former permanent representative to the United Nations.
00:08Chinese economic assistance is crucial for Pakistan's fragile economy.
00:15If it wasn't for China, Pakistan could have defaulted on its external debt two years ago.
00:22It was China that helped Pakistan by rolling over debt that was owed to China.
00:29And therefore, that helped Pakistan's fiscal position.
00:32At the same time, CPEC, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is a multi-billion dollar infrastructure program that China
00:41has been funding and backing,
00:44has helped Pakistan create the kind of or modernize rather its infrastructure and, of course, help China also as it
00:53seeks an opening to the sea that it gets through the port of Gwadar
00:57and links their province of Chinkian with Gwadar.
01:02That's the economic relationship.
01:05I want to talk to you about the diplomatic relationship and how closely Islamabad and Beijing are coordinating and cooperating
01:13on issues like Afghanistan, Iran and regional stability.
01:19Well, there's always very close consultation between our two countries, between China and Pakistan on regional as well as global
01:28issues.
01:29Pakistan today is a non-permanent member of the Security Council.
01:31So, on the Council also, the two consult very, very closely.
01:36But I think we should also acknowledge the military dimension of the relationship, which is very, very robust.
01:44Again, if it wasn't for Chinese aircraft, Pakistan would not have been able to get the upper hand that it
01:49did in the brief conflict it had with India last year.
01:53It was Chinese aircraft that enabled Pakistan to shoot down Indian aircraft that actually became a defining moment in that
02:04brief conflict.
02:06What would a successful visit look like?
02:09What should we be looking out for?
02:12Well, I think, you know, when a relationship which is already very strong and has been so for seven decades
02:19or more, I think we have to sort of bear in mind that diplomacy is a process, not an event.
02:25So, I think we should, if we look at the outcome of the visit from that point of view, this
02:31visit will further fortify a very, very strong relationship.
02:35And if there are business deals that can be signed, I think that will be a bonus.
02:40But I would focus really on the fact that the two countries will use this equation, the anniversary of 75
02:48years of their friendship, as another point to further strengthen the relationship.
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