China and Pakistan yesterday signed 13 agreements on cooperation in fields
such as space, telecommunications, education and legal assistance, vowing to
raise the strategic partnership "to a new level."
The agreements were signed after Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao held talks with
visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. According to a source with the
Chinese Foreign Ministry, the two sides reached four points of consensus after
the talks.
The source provided no further information of the 13 agreements.
The two sides agreed to actively implement the China-Pakistan free trade
agreement and a five-year plan for economic and trade cooperation, pledging to
accelerate negotiations on service trade cooperation and encourage the mutual
investment from the two business communities.
They agreed to expand exchanges in cultural and humanitarian fields to
consolidate the traditional friendship, and to cement cooperation in campaigns
against "East Turkistan" separatists and cross-border crime.
They would also intensify coordination and communication on multilateral
issues in an effort to safeguard stability and promote the development in South
Asia, the source added.
Wen spoke highly of China's relations with Pakistan, calling the country "a
good and highly reliable friend", "a good cooperative partner" and "a good
brother sharing weal and woe".
He also expressed his congratulations on the 60th anniversary of the
Pakistan's independence.
Wen said the Chinese government maintained unswerving policies to boost the
traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Pakistan and was
willing to make concerted efforts with Pakistan to improve the strategic
partnership "to a new level".
Aziz said Pakistani people shared friendly feelings with the Chinese people
and were proud of the Pakistan-China friendship.
The bilateral ties had endured the test of time and the frequent bilateral
high-level exchanges helped boost cooperation, Aziz said.
The continued development of friendly relations with China was an important
component of Pakistan's foreign policies and Pakistan would continue to step up
the cooperation with China to foster the friendship and mutual trust, he
promised
As a guest of Wen, Aziz arrived here on Monday, kicking off an official visit
to China from April 16 to 20.
Aziz will also visit Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province,
where he will attend the inaugural ceremony of Pakistan's consulate general.
From April 20 to 21, Aziz will attend the annual conference of the Boao Forum
for Asia (BFA) to be held in China's southernmost Hainan Province.
The BFA annual conference brings together senior government officials,
business executives as well as leading academics whose activities affect Asia.