Bhutto magnanimity praised

Press, 15 February 1989, Page 10

Bhutto magnanimity praised

NZPA-Reuter Peking

The Chinese leader, Deng Xiaoping, yesterday praised the Pakistani Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, for not taking revenge on her political foes, in an apparent attempt to erase memories of China’s ties with her predecessor, Zia-ul-Haq. Mr Deng, a survivor of two political purges during China’s Cultural Revolution (1966-76), met Miss Bhutto in Shanghai and applauded her for promising a policy of conciliation in Pakistan, the official New China News Agency reported.

"Various political parties in Pakistan and the Pakistan people are all our friends. I hope they get united to develop Pakistan instead of haggling over past resentment,” Mr Deng said. Miss Bhutto’s father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was in the 1960 s and 1970 s largely responsible for forging the close alliance between China and Pakistan, before being ousted in 1977 by General Zia and eventually executed. Chinese leaders nevertheless maintained an “extremely friendly” relationship with General Zia until his death in a plane

crash last year, Pekingbased diplomats said. In his meeting with Miss Bhutto on Monday, Mr Deng pointed out that her father had been a friend of Mao Tse-tung and enjoyed a “special relationship” with the late Chinese Premier, Chou En-lai.

Miss Bhutto told Mr Deng that both countries needed stability and peace and that his pragmatic economic reforms had “brought changes to the whole world.” Miss Bhutto, who arrived in China on Saturday, left Shanghai last evening to return to Pakistan.