China, Pakistan mark 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties
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Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) meets with Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in Beijing, capital of China, May 20, 2011. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) |
Chinese President Hu Jintao has exchanged congratulatory messages with his Pakistani counterpart, Asif Ali Zardari, to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, which falls on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has also exchanged messages with Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.
In his message, Hu said that based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, relations between China and Pakistan have withstood the tests of fluctuating international situations and changes in their domestic situations and progressed healthily and smoothly over the past 60 years.
China and Pakistan have conducted substantial exchanges and cooperation in politics, economy and trade, culture and security, and maintained contacts and coordination in international and regional affairs, Hu said, adding that the establishment of strategic cooperative partnership between the two nations has injected new vigor and vitality to bilateral ties.
China and Pakistan are good neighbors, good friends, good partners and good brothers, the Chinese president said.
Under the current complex and volatile international and regional situations, to further consolidate and develop good-neighborly cooperation between China and Pakistan is in line with the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples, and is also conducive to regional and global peace and development, said Hu.
China cherishes its friendship with Pakistan and will always take the development of bilateral relations as one of its diplomatic priorities, he said.
China is willing to work with Pakistan to deepen the all-weather friendship and enhance all-dimensional cooperation to push the China-Pakistan strategic cooperative partnership to a new level, he said.
Pakistani President Zardari said that although the two countries differ in size and economic and social systems, their relationship has withstood the test of time.
He said the Pakistan-China relationship is good enough to serve as a model for other countries, adding that his country is proud of the friendship between the two countries.
Zardari said Pakistan takes pride in and is inspired by the achievements that China has made.
Friendly cooperation between the two sides is beneficial not only to the two peoples, but to regional and international peace and stability, he said.
Zardari said the China-Pakistan Friendship Year will further expand the exchanges between all the sectors of the two countries.
He also said Pakistan will continue to be firmly committed to the friendship with China while deepening and expanding cooperation.
In his message, Wen said China and Pakistan, two countries joined by common mountains and rivers, share a long history of good-neighborliness and friendliness, with friendship between the Chinese and Pakistan peoples being deeply rooted among them.
Wen said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations 60 years ago, the two countries have always abided by the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, enjoyed political mutual trust, mutually beneficial economic cooperation. The two countries have understood and supported each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, he added.
The China-Pakistan relationship, a good model for countries with different social systems to get along with each other, has delivered real benefits to the peoples of the two countries while playing an active role in promoting regional peace and development, Wen said.
Gilani said in his message that China has always been a firm friend, a reliable partner and a trustworthy neighbor of Pakistan for the past 60 years.
The prime minister said that no matter how international politics and regional situations have changed, the two countries have always been aligned to each other.
He proposed that the two countries look back at the past and look forward to the future, in order that their friendly cooperation will be passed on and never change.
