Zardari's dream: China, Pakistan sans frontiers.
Saibal Dasgupta, TNN | Sep 3, 2011, 07.22AM IST
BEIJING: Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari on Friday said he dreamt of a day when Chinese and Pakistanis could travel between the two countries without passports.
Zardari is in China to mend relations with the "allweather friend" after officials in Xinjiang blamed Pakistan for being the source of arms and training for separatists . He celebrated Eid in the Muslim majority province as part of Islamabad's efforts to placate Beijing and visited a local mosque in Urumqi along with his son Bilawal and daughter Asifa.
"I have a great dream that Chinese can travel to Pakistan without a passport and Pakistanis can travel to China without passports," he said in an interview to a Chinese TV channel. He said Pakistan wants to be the connecting route for crude oil supply to China from across the world. "We are looking at energy coming to China through us."
Zardari's comments are understood to have come after consultation with Chinese officials and reflect his confidence about the success of his mission to Xinjiang.
Chinese media reported that the Chinese government had approved Zardari's recent speech at Urunqi's EuroAsia trade fair.