Chinese president harps on "all-weather" ties with Pakistan

Beijing, Sept 7 (PTI) Chinese President Hu Jintao Sunday offered to join hands with his new Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari to take the Sino-Pakistani strategic cooperative partnership to a "new level" and actively contribute to promote world peace, stability and development.

"China and Pakistan are friendly neighbours that are joined by common mountains and rivers, and peoples of the two countries have developed an all-weather friendship," Hu said in a congratulatory message to Zardari, who was elected Pakistan President Saturday.

Since China and Pakistan established diplomatic ties in
1951, the two sides "trust each other and treat each other as
equals politically, share a mutually beneficial cooperation
and common development economically, and enjoy remarkably
fruitful and ever expanding exchanges and cooperation in other
fields," Hu said.

When dealing with international and regional affairs, the
two countries support each other and hold coordination
closely, Hu, also General Secretary of the ruling Communist
Party of China, was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua
news agency.

The Sino-Pakistani friendship brings about real interests
to the two countries and makes active contributions to peace,
stability and development of the region and the world as a
whole, he said.

In the new historical period, China is willing to join
hands with Pakistan to carry forward the traditional
friendship, to jointly create a bright future, to promote the
Sino-Pakistani strategic cooperative partnership to a new
level, and to be good neighbours, good friends, good brothers
and good partners forever, Hu added. PTI AKJ