Senior Chinese leader, Pakistani president vow to boost ties

Visiting Chinese leader Li Changchun held talks here on Wednesday with the Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, calling on the two sides to further implement the important consensus reached between the heads of the two states with the aim of stepping up bilateral relations to a higher level. "The purpose of my visit is to enhance the strategic mutual trust and promote the bilateral cooperation with mutual benefit," Li told Zardari. Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), noted that the bilateral cooperation on trade was a very important component for China-Pakistan strategic cooperation, promising that China would encourage its companies to establish business and increase investment in Pakistan and continue to provide the assistance to help Pakistan's social and economic development. "I hope the two sides would work together to expand their exchange and cooperation in fields such as culture, education and media, intensify the interaction among the youth, women and local governments between the two nations and better coordinate on international issues to safeguard the common interests," Li said. Agreeing with Li's views on the bilateral relations, Zardari said he was committed to foster Pakistan-China cooperation in many fields and would offer comprehensive service to the Chinese companies who come to Pakistan to start business. Pakistan would continue to support China firmly on issues to its key concern and spare no effort to protect the safety and security of the Chinese personnel and institutions who are engaged in Pakistan. As for the party-to-party relations, Li stressed the ties between the Chinese and Pakistani political parties have formed an important part of the bilateral relations and CPC welcomes leaders and young politicians of the Pakistan People Party (PPP) to visit China. Zardari, who is also the PPP co-chairman, spoke highly of the achievements China has made under the CPC leadership, expressing his confidence that China's development would provide more opportunities as well as contributions to the regional prosperity and stability. At the invitations of the Pakistani government, Li arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday afternoon for a two-day good will official visit to the country. Pakistan is the first leg of Li's three-nation visit to South Asia that will also bring him to the Maldives and Bangladesh.