China and Pakistan celebrated the 55th anniversary of the
establishment of their diplomatic ties with a reception in Beijing
on Tuesday.
Addressing the reception, visiting Pakistani President General
Pervez Musharraf said that Pakistan commits itself to the all-round
development of its partnership with China.
He said Pakistan and China, as close neighbors, enjoy a
friendship "deeper than the ocean and higher than the
mountains".
The two countries have increased their cooperation in the past
55 years, he said, noting that the Pakistani people, as sincere
friends of China, are pleased with and encouraged by the remarkable
achievements that China has made its modernization drive.
Musharraf said Pakistan is ready to enhance exchange and
cooperation with China in various spheres and at various levels,
thereby raising the traditional friendship between the two
countries to new heights.
Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan said that China-Pakistan
relations have stood the test of time and volatile international
situations, due to the unswerving efforts of the two governments
and the two peoples.
Sino-Pakistani relations have set a good example for countries
with different social systems to get along with each other in
friendly relations, Tang noted.
The reception, jointly hosted by the Chinese People's
Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and the
Pakistani embassy in China, was attended by more than 400
people.
Also on Tuesday, Chinese Premier Wen
Jiabao called for the consolidation and development of China's
strategic and cooperative partnership with Pakistan in a meeting
with Musharraf.
He said China and Pakistan share an all-weather friendship,
pledging that China will continue to cement the cooperation based
on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in order to help
maintain regional peace and stability.
As neighbors, China and Pakistan can gain mutual benefit from
expansive trade opportunities, Wen said, advising the two
governments to strengthen macro planning and readjust their trade
structures to complement each other.
Companies from the two countries should strengthen cooperation
in ways that better serve a market-oriented economy, Wen said.
"The Chinese government encourages Chinese businesses to invest
and participate in Pakistan's economic construction and China hopes
that Pakistan will take effective measures to safeguard the life of
Chinese people in Pakistan", Wen stressed.
Musharraf said Pakistan and China have forged a close
relationship and the two countries support each other on many
significant international issues, expressing his appreciation for
China's timely disaster-relief and reconstruction efforts to
Pakistan after the severe earthquake last year.
Musharraf said his country is willing to make joint efforts with
China to promote the bilateral trade cooperation by pushing forward
negotiations on the free trade zone.
Pakistan also hopes to pass the friendship from generation to
generation through expansion of cooperation in such fields as
public health and education, Musharraf added.
China and Pakistan on Monday signed a series of agreements on
trade, energy, agriculture and defense. The two countries will also
step up collaboration in vocational training, fisheries, seismic
studies, meteorological sciences and family planning.
(Xinhua News Agency February 22, 2006)
