China, Pakistan vow to strengthen ties
16/6/2006 15:22
Chinese and Pakistani presidents agreed today 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
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