Chinese and Pakistani presidents agreed on Friday the two
countries will strengthen strategic partnership by enhancing mutual
trust, expanding exchanges and intensifying reciprocal
cooperation.
High-level visits and frequent contacts between their leaders on
bilateral and multilateral occasions will help enhance political
trust and promote cooperation in diverse fields, said Chinese
President Hu Jintao during a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart
Pervez Musharraf in Shanghai.
Hu proposed China and Pakistan speed up their joint study on a
five-year plan for economic and trade cooperation and reach a
Sino-Pakistani free trade deal at an early date.
It is also necessary to speed up reconstruction of Pakistan's
quake-hit areas and reach timely agreements on the renovation of
the Karakoram Highway and a number of projects with aid from China,
including the building of schools, hospitals and an earthquake
monitoring network in Pakistan's quake-ravaged areas, said Hu.
He also proposed closer cooperation in the security sector --
both traditional and untraditional-- and implementation of existing
documents signed between the two sides.
Echoing Hu's proposals on closer ties, Musharraf said more
exchanges and cooperation in political, trade and economic sectors
between his country and China have brought tangible benefits to the
two countries and their peoples.
Musharraf said Pakistan is willing to make concerted efforts
with China to add new vitality to bilateral relations and
continually push forward their strategic partnership.
This year marks the 55th anniversary of China-Pakistan
diplomatic relations. "We are good neighbors, good friends and good
partners," Hu said, adding that their friendship is all-weather and
cooperation all-round.
Musharraf said the Pakistani-Chinese friendship has withstood
the tests of time and his country is confident in the bilateral
relations with China.
Musharraf is in Shanghai to attend Thursday's annual summit
meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, in which Pakistan
holds observer status.
(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2006)
