| Premier Zhu Rongji Met with Pakistan President |
| 2001/12/21 |
On December 21, Premier Zhu Rongji met with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.
Zhu warmly welcomed Musharraf and his wife to China. He expressed the gladness to meet Musharraf again and thanked him for the warm reception during his visit to Pakistan this May.
Zhu said that President Jiang Zemin and Musharraf held successful talks on the previous day and invigorated the partnership of all-round cooperation between China and Pakistan. He congratulated them on that. China and Pakistan are close and friendly neighbors. Regardless of changes in the international situation, China and Pakistan have built up a time-tested friendship of mutual understanding, trust and support since they forged diplomatic ties 50 years ago. The two countries' friendship over the 50 years has been a history of mutual help and a good example of the friendly coexistence between countries with different social systems. He is satisfied with and proud of the development of the Sino-Pakistan relationship, adding that China is ready to work with the Pakistani government and people to further promote the partnership of all-round cooperation in the 21st century.
Zhu said that China has always handled mutually beneficial cooperation with Pakistan proceeding from the overall interests of China-Pakistan friendship and continues to encourage capable Chinese enterprises to invest in Pakistan. He hopes that this type of cooperation will continue to make humble contribution to the development of the Pakistani economy.
As a friendly neighbor of Pakistan, China has closely followed the development of the situation in Pakistan and sincerely wishes to see political stability and economic growth maintained in the country. Pakistan has been at the forefront of the international anti-terrorism campaign since the September 11 attacks in the United States, and has withstood severe tests since. Zhu said he believed under the leadership of Musharraf and the Pakistan government, the country will become more stable, the economy will develop faster and the people's living standard will improve further.
Musharraf spoke highly of the development of bilateral relations between Pakistan and China during the past 50 years. He said that the friendship between the Chinese and Pakistan peoples has helped Pakistan's construction, and promoting cooperation with China is a cornerstone of the Pakistan government's foreign policy. The president said he was grateful for China's strong support to the Pakistani people in all fields during the most difficult times. The current visit again impressed them with the profound feelings of the Chinese people. The Pakistani government and its people would try their best to push forward the all-round cooperative partnership between the two countries in the new century.
Musharraf also briefed Zhu on the domestic situation in Pakistan and emphasized that what he and the Pakistani government have done is for the well-being of the Pakistani people and the fundamental interests of Pakistan.
Zhu and Musharraf also exchanged views on the economic and trade cooperation between China and Pakistan, and reached common ground.
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