China hopes that Pakistan and India would improve their ties through dialogue, President Hu Jintao said in Beijing Wednesday.

 

China sincerely hopes that Pakistan and India will maintain the momentum of dialogue and jointly improve bilateral ties in a bid to promote peace, stability and development in the South Asian region, said Hu.

 

Hu made the remarks while meeting with visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, who pays an official visit to China from April 16 to 20.

 

Aziz pledged Pakistan will continue to work with India to solve their unsettled problems through dialogue and negotiations.

 

President Hu highlighted China-Pakistan relations, saying bilateral strategic cooperative partnership has entered a new development stage.

 

China is ready to make joint efforts with Pakistan to earnestly implement the agreements the two sides have inked and enhance cooperation in such areas like trade, science and technology, culture to lift all-weathered friendship to a new level, said Hu.

 

With regards to China-Pakistan trade cooperation, President Hu said the two countries should enlarge the scale of trade exchanges, enhance cooperation between the enterprises and explore new cooperative fields and ways.

 

President Hu and Aziz also exchanged views on reconstruction in Afghanistan and Iran's nuclear issue.

 

Vice Premier Wu Yi also met with Aziz, saying "some of the agreed projects had been implemented, and key projects, including construction of the China-Pakistan Free Trade Area and rebuilding of the Karakorum Highway, first built in the 1970s, were progressing smoothly."

 

Both countries would push forward trade and investment, Wu said, voicing the hope that Pakistan could create a favorable environment for Chinese companies operating there.

 

Aziz emphasized the importance of China as a cooperative partner, saying stronger cooperation in trade and economy would benefit both countries.

 

Pakistan would implement the free trade agreement and expand two-way trade and investment, Aziz said, encouraging more Chinese companies to operate in Pakistan.

 

"Our government will take effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese engineers and technical workers in Pakistan," Aziz said.

 

(Xinhua News Agency April 19, 2007)