PML-N puts all its MoUs in Chinese basket
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ISLAMABAD: If one goes by the number of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) which the PML-N has signed with China since coming to power, it would appear that the success of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government is firmly tethered to the materialisation of these agreements.
Ranging from infrastructural development such as roads, rails, electricity production under the much touted Pak-China Economic Corridor; to cooperation in the fields of art and culture; science, technology and education to links between the Communist Party of China and PML-N, the two governments have signed a staggering 47 MoUs so far.
Read: Chinese president to visit Pakistan this month: Foreign Office
Many of these MoUs also emphasise the need for increasing cooperation between the financial and research-based institutions in both countries.
Sources in the PM’s Secretariat, however, have revealed that at least 10 more MoUs are ready to be signed when the Chinese president arrives in Islamabad on his long-awaited visit, some time this month.
In diplomatic parlance, an ‘MoU’ means that “signatories have agreed to look into the possibility of joining hands to carry out a certain project” and it has no legal obligations attached to it.
According to a retired federal secretary who served in key ministries, the PML-N government is banking heavily on Chinese for its overall development agenda, which it had presented to the masses to seek their mandate. “There is nothing wrong with this, but shrewd governments always diversify their cooperation when it comes to foreign help for development,” commented the retired official in an off-the-record conversation.
The first MoU signed by the two governments, according to official documents, dealt with cooperation on the development of the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor and the long-term plan of action between the National Development and Reform Commission of the People’s Republic of China and Ministry of Planning and Development of Pakistan.
After this particular MoU, the two sides actually agreed to carry out a number of projects including the Lahore-Karachi Motorway, the Havelian dry port, the development of Gwadar airport and expressway and an orange line for Lahore. However, critics say that a majority of the projects conceived under the corridor exists only on paper even though the PML-N government is about to complete its two years.
Most of the remaining MoUs are regarding cooperation between the two countries to meet Pakistan’s ever expanding energy needs through wind, solar, coal, nuclear, and hydel projects.
Other MoUs which show a wide range of intended cooperation between the two countries include: MoU between the Export Import Bank of China and the Ministry of Finance, Economic Affairs, Statistics and Revenue; MoU on cooperation between the Institute of Strategic Studies of Pakistan (ISS) and China’s Centre for Contemporary World Studies; Protocol between the Ministry of National Food Security and Research of Pakistan and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China for exporting mangoes from Pakistan to China; MoU of Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and University of Engineering and Technology Lahore; Joint Development Agreement between Oracle Coalfields PLC and China CME Engineering Co. Ltd For development and funding of coal mine & power plant in Block VI, Thar coalfield; MoU between Academy of Chinese Medical Science and International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi; MoU for Cooperation in Implementation of the Terrestrial Digital Television Transmission Standard in Pakistan between the National Development and Reform Commission, China, and the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, Pakistan; Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement between the government of China and Pakistan and a framework agreement on provision of concessional loan by China to Pakistan.
Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2015
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