Jiabao to visit Pak next month for “deepening strategic cooperation”

GUANGZHOU - The Chinese Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao, will visit Pakistan next month to “deepen strategic cooperation” and establish a mechanism for formal and structured dialogue to ensure smooth and real time communication on all issues of common interest.

“We are looking forward to establishing contacts between leaderships of the two countries,” the Dawn quoted Jiabao, as saying, during a meeting with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in Guangzhou on Friday.

“Every visit of the president (Zardari) has further deepened Pakistan-China cooperation,” noted the Chinese prime minister.

Zardari reiterated his country’s full support to China on issues relating to Tibet, Taiwan and Xinjiang, and said that bilateral strategic cooperation was vital for defending common interests and combating forces of destabilisation. The Pakistan-China friendship was a symbol of peace and stability in the region, he added.

Two rounds of talks were held- the first between top officials of the two countries and the second between the two leaders.

The meeting was attended by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Malik Amad Khan, Ambassador Masood Khan, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Syed Mehdi Shah, Board of Investment Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla and President’s Spokesman Farhatullah Babar. (ANI)