Visiting Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji called for more people-to-people exchanges between China and Pakistan in addition to contacts and dialogues between top leaders to open a new chapter of all-around co-operation.
"For a half-century, our two peoples have supported each other and gone through thick and thin together despite the constant change of events," Zhu said in a speech to a reception here.
"Such a model relationship of good-neighbourliness not only brings benefits to our two peoples but also contributes to peace and development in South Asia and the world at large," he said.
Zhu said China hopes that countries in South Asia will live together in peace and amity, resolve differences appropriately, expand regional co-operation and realize common development.
"China stands ready to continue to expand its friendly interflow with South Asian countries, step up its exchanges in the areas of economy, trade and technology, and co-operation in international and regional affairs and make unremitting efforts towards progress and prosperity in Asia and indeed across the world," Zhu said.
Zhu arrived yesterday in Punjab, Pakistan's most fertile province and home to more than half Pakistan's 130 million people. He spent the two prior days in the nation's capital, Islamabad, where he met with Pakistani President Muhammad Rafiq Tarar on Saturday and had talks with Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf on Friday evening.
Zhu thanked Tarar for the warm welcome of the government and the people.
He conveyed Chinese President Jiang Zemin's greetings to Tarar and reaffirmed Jiang's invitation for him to visit China this year.
Tarar expressed his warm welcome to Zhu and said the visit brought joy to Pakistan.
Zhu appreciated Tarar's description of the Sino-Pakistani friendship as "higher than mountains, deeper than oceans and sweeter than honey" in his poem.
Zhu attributed the friendly and consistent relations between two countries with such different cultures, social systems and ideology as proof of the observance of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence.
Zhu said the bilateral friendship can be traced back to 2,000 years ago, when the world-renowned Silk Road first linked the two areas. In modern times, such exchanges have turned even closer since Pakistan became one of the earliest countries to forge diplomatic relations with China, back on May 21, 1951.
A grand banquet was hosted by Tarar on Saturday evening in Islamabad to celebrate the coming 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Also on Saturday, Zhu and Musharraf attended a luncheon hosted by the Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
Zhu briefed the business leaders and industrialists of China's economic development and viewed the vista of expanding China-Pakistan economic co-operation and trade.
"The present sustained economic growth of our two countries, especially China's strategy of developing its west and Pakistan's endeavour to intensify agriculture and infrastructure, has provided business communities of the two countries with favourable conditions," Zhu said.
Premier Zhu planted a tree symbolizing friendship on Saturday morning in the Shakarparian Park in Islamabad, an arboretum with trees planted by dozens of foreign heads of state, including late and current Chinese leaders Zhou Enlai, Jiang Zemin and Li Peng.
Premier Zhu's visit has made the front pages of nearly all major newspapers here, with some publishing special supplements on Sino-Pakistani relations and welcoming Zhu.
Many newspapers hailed China as a "genuine friend" to Pakistan since its independence in 1947.
Zhu will conclude his four-day visit to Pakistan today and depart for Nepal. This five-nation swing will also include stops in the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
(China daily 05/14/2001)
