China will remain 'forever friends' with Pakistan: Wen Jiabao
BEIJING: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao assured his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani of Chinas all-weather friendship on Wednesday, at the start of a visit that sharply contrasts with the intense strain at present between Washington and Islamabad.
I wish to stress here that no matter what changes might take place in the international landscape, China and Pakistan will remain forever good neighbours, good friends, good partners and good brothers, Wen told Gilani, according to a pool report.
I do believe that this visit will give a strong boost to the friendship and cooperation between our two countries and take that friendship and cooperation to a new high, he added, during a meeting in central Beijings Great Hall of the People.
I would like to thank your Excellency for the warm welcome and hospitality accorded to me and my delegation since our arrival in China, Gilani told Wen.
Pakistan and China are close friends and good neighbours. Our all-weather friendship is deeply rooted in the hearts and minds of our two peoples, Gilani said Wednesday in an earlier speech at a cultural forum in the eastern city of Suzhou.
Pakistan-China friendship epitomises complete understanding, full trust, mutual cooperation and harmony. It is an abiding friendship based on shared values and ideals.
Those comments echoed one he gave in an interview with Chinas official Xinhua news agency: We are proud to have China as our best and most trusted friend, and China will always find Pakistan standing beside it at all times.
Gilani, who arrived in Shanghai late Tuesday, travelled to Beijing on Wednesday, beginning the official part of his visit with a meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
During their talks, they were expected to discuss the global fight against terrorism and growing commercial ties, two-way trade totalled $8.7 billion in 2010, up 27.7 percent on-year.
Since the assault on Bin Ladens compound, which has prompted questions as to whether Pakistans powerful security establishment helped him find safe haven, Beijing has repeatedly praised Islamabads counter-terrorism efforts.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu on Tuesday spoke of Pakistans great sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and has encouraged the world to assist Islamabad.
During their talks, Wen and Gilani discussed Islamabads desire to increase production of the JF-17 a fighter jet developed by China and Pakistan and its plans to buy Chinas J-10 combat aircraft, Mukhtar said.
The two sides also signed several economic and energy agreements.
Gilani will also seek closer energy links with Beijing, as his Pakistan faces crippling power shortages and weak Western investment in Pakistans struggling economy.
Pakistan last week opened a 330-megawatt nuclear power plant in Punjab with Chinese help and said Beijing had been contracted to construct two more reactors.
China also needs Islamabads cooperation in stemming potential terrorist threats in its mainly Muslim region of Xinjiang, which borders Pakistan.
But political analysts have said a wary Beijing was unlikely to buttress its verbal backing of Islamabad with significant aid money or other new support out of fear of getting too entangled in the troubled nations fortunes.
Gilani is due to meet President Hu Jintao on Friday to wrap up the visit.
BEIJING: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao assured his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani of Chinas all-weather friendship on Wednesday, at the start of a visit that sharply contrasts with the intense strain at present between Washington and Islamabad.
I wish to stress here that no matter what changes might take place in the international landscape, China and Pakistan will remain forever good neighbours, good friends, good partners and good brothers, Wen told Gilani, according to a pool report.
I do believe that this visit will give a strong boost to the friendship and cooperation between our two countries and take that friendship and cooperation to a new high, he added, during a meeting in central Beijings Great Hall of the People.
I would like to thank your Excellency for the warm welcome and hospitality accorded to me and my delegation since our arrival in China, Gilani told Wen.
Pakistan and China are close friends and good neighbours. Our all-weather friendship is deeply rooted in the hearts and minds of our two peoples, Gilani said Wednesday in an earlier speech at a cultural forum in the eastern city of Suzhou.
Pakistan-China friendship epitomises complete understanding, full trust, mutual cooperation and harmony. It is an abiding friendship based on shared values and ideals.
Those comments echoed one he gave in an interview with Chinas official Xinhua news agency: We are proud to have China as our best and most trusted friend, and China will always find Pakistan standing beside it at all times.
Gilani, who arrived in Shanghai late Tuesday, travelled to Beijing on Wednesday, beginning the official part of his visit with a meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
During their talks, they were expected to discuss the global fight against terrorism and growing commercial ties, two-way trade totalled $8.7 billion in 2010, up 27.7 percent on-year.
Since the assault on Bin Ladens compound, which has prompted questions as to whether Pakistans powerful security establishment helped him find safe haven, Beijing has repeatedly praised Islamabads counter-terrorism efforts.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu on Tuesday spoke of Pakistans great sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and has encouraged the world to assist Islamabad.
During their talks, Wen and Gilani discussed Islamabads desire to increase production of the JF-17 a fighter jet developed by China and Pakistan and its plans to buy Chinas J-10 combat aircraft, Mukhtar said.
The two sides also signed several economic and energy agreements.
Gilani will also seek closer energy links with Beijing, as his Pakistan faces crippling power shortages and weak Western investment in Pakistans struggling economy.
Pakistan last week opened a 330-megawatt nuclear power plant in Punjab with Chinese help and said Beijing had been contracted to construct two more reactors.
China also needs Islamabads cooperation in stemming potential terrorist threats in its mainly Muslim region of Xinjiang, which borders Pakistan.
But political analysts have said a wary Beijing was unlikely to buttress its verbal backing of Islamabad with significant aid money or other new support out of fear of getting too entangled in the troubled nations fortunes.
Gilani is due to meet President Hu Jintao on Friday to wrap up the visit.