China appeals for an early end to the Iraq war and a return to the path of political resolution, Hu said.

He pledged that China will continue to provide the war-weary Iraqi people with humanitarian assistance.

Hu reaffirmed that China has consistently maintained that the Iraq issue should be brought back to the United Nations.

Jamali echoed Hu's remarks and said Pakistan appreciated China's stance on the Iraqi issue and its desire to resolve international disputes through dialogue.

Turning to bilateral relations, Hu said exchanges and cooperation between the two countries were fruitful. He added they had maintained friendly relations on the basis of mutual trust and support.

China's good relations with Pakistan were regarded as a model for countries of different social and cultural backgrounds, Hu said.

China has always regarded Pakistan as a most sincere and reliable friend, he said.

Jamali also met separately with top legislator Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Central Military Commission Jiang Zemin and Defence Minister Cao Gangchuan.

Wu said that China's National People's Congress attached great importance to cooperation with the parliament of Pakistan, noting that frequent contacts between the two have played an important role in promoting cooperation between the two governments and peoples.

Cao said military-to-military relations between the two countries were an important part of state-to-state relations.

For many years, high-level exchanges of military officials were frequent and the fields of cooperation between the two sides were extensive, he said.

(China Daily March 26, 2003)