经济学人下载:中巴关系,真的能甜蜜吗?

Pakistan and China
巴基斯坦与中国

Sweet as can be?
真的能甜蜜吗？

Even an all-weather friendship has limits
哪怕是永不背弃的友谊都有其极限

May 12th 2011 | BEIJING AND ISLAMABAD | fromThe Economist  print edition

Come rain or shine
风雨无阻

PAKISTAN’S ambassador to Beijing, Masood Kahn, was this week fully armed with metaphors to describe the robust friendship between the two countries. “We say it is higher than the mountains, deeper than the oceans, stronger than steel, dearer than eyesight, sweeter than honey, and so on.”

巴基斯坦的大使Masood Kahn带着形容两国坚固友谊的隐喻于这个星期到达北京。“我们说它比山高，比海深，比金属坚硬，比视野珍贵，比蜂蜜甜蜜，以及其他。”

The relationship is indeed a geopolitical keystone for both countries. Pakistan serves as China’s closest friend both in South Asia and among Islamic countries. So close, indeed, that many suspect China has asked Pakistan for the valuable remains of the American stealth helicopter abandoned during the bin Laden raid. Meanwhile, China can help counterbalance Pakistan’s arch-rival, India, including in Afghanistan.

这段友谊对于两国而言确实如同地理学上的一块楔石一般。在南亚以及伊斯兰教国家中，巴基斯坦充当着中国最亲密的伙伴。如此的亲密，甚至于许多国家怀疑中国向巴基斯坦索要了在本拉登袭击事件中珍贵的美国秘密遗弃的直升机残骸。同时，中国帮助制约巴基斯坦的主要竞争对手印度，以及阿富汗。

Pakistan seems keen to foster the impression that new tensions with America might nudge it even closer towards China. In his blustery speech to parliament on May 9th Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani struck out on an odd tangent to praise China as an “all-weather friend”, providing Pakistan with strength and inspiration. Not to be outdone, President Asif Zardari issued an effusive statement of his own about a friendship “not matched by any other relationship between two sovereign countries”.

巴基斯坦看起来热衷于促进新的与美国关系的紧张状态，而这种热衷则可能会让其与中国的关系更进一步。在其总理Yusuf Raza Gilani 于5月9号对国会充满争议的演讲中，他突然提出了一个奇怪的话题——中国是一位永不分离的伙伴，她给巴基斯坦提供力量与灵感。