Pakistan-China Strategic Relations‪.‬

Byline: Khalid Mahmood On January 1, 2011, in a heartwarming ceremony held in the Pakistan-China Friendship Centre at Islamabad, yet another gift from the People s Republic of China, the Pakistan-China Friendship Year was launched. The Friendship Year, which coincides with the 60th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, provides a timely occasion to take stock of their bilateral ties which have been described by the most adulatory metaphors possible. There could have been no better backdrop for this exercise than the recently concluded visit by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to Pakistan on 17-19 December, 2010. In glaring contrast to the summit level visits from USA, UK, France and Russia in quick succession confined to India alone, the Chinese Premier paid back- to-back official visits to India as well as Pakistan.