The president of PPP and the former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, has said that Pakistan can be the bridge between China and the United States, Deutsche Welle (DW) He reported Monday.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Bilawal discussed the country’s commitment to China and the United States, the expectations of President Donald Trump, improving relations with India and security challenges.
“The rhythm of that competitiveness [between China and the US] It has very palpable effects worldwide […]. From a Pakistani perspective, historically, we have played the role of Bridge Builder instead of a dividing force, ”he said.
He added: “If you want to put ourselves in a camp, we would like to see ourselves as bridge builders. We play that role in the past between the establishment of diplomatic contacts and the relationship between the United States and China.
“In the future, we would like to see ourselves as a country that can close that gap instead of increasing that division.”
When asked about Trump’s new administration, Bilawal called Trump a “treatment” and said: “Given the challenges we face in the region, there are issues and areas in which we can commit ourselves to the US of that road map “.
One of those domains, he added, was to increase the commitment to India.
In addition, he said: “With the China-United States conflict and with the United States attempts to build India as a counterweight for China, it affects the balance of power in the region.”
Giving the example of the arms race between India and Pakistan, he said that both countries can focus on other sectors such as poverty, unemployment, but “if the United States will try to establish India as a net safety provider in the region, then Pakistan Hacar what should hold that race. “
China has a “constant stable trajectory” and “makes sense” that the country does business with China, said Bilawal, adding: “But it makes no sense to separate ourselves from the rest of the world.”
Last year, Pakistan ruled out the possibility of sacrificing his relationship with China for the sake of better relations with the United States. The Foreign Ministry had emphasized that “Pakistan does not believe in zero sum relations.”
“For us, relations with the United States and relations with China are important,” said former FO spokesman, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch.
Security challenges
Regarding the comments of the US Vice President JD Vance, a day before with respect to Washington, to be able to exercise economic and military leverage in conversations with Russia to guarantee a good peace agreement on Ukraine, Bilawal said that “no It was a surprise for us because we are accustomed to the fact that the United States takes care of the interests of the United States first. “
He highlighted the withdrawal of the United States of Afghanistan in 2021 saying that the EU, the Afghan and Pakistan government were not consulted. He said: “The old standards on how to deal with the world have changed,” and added that Pakistan was learning to commit to that.
Speaking about the country’s security challenges, he declared that “the current security challenges of Pakistan are not emanating out of Iran, but it is a direct consequence of the withdrawal of the United States of Afghanistan that has resulted in a large number of militant organizations winning impulse. “
He said that organizations prohibited as Tehreek-I-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Daesh and other groups were almost dismantled.
He continued: “Before Kabul’s fall, we had more success in dismantling and facing these militant attire within Pakistan than all NATO in Afghanistan.”
“To face that challenge, Pakistan needs a comprehensive domestic consensus that is owned by the entire political spectrum […] Then we will be in a position for a serious, regional and international conversation, about what we are going to do with respect to this disaster “
