Chinese, Pakistani presidents talk over telephone

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-24 22:14

BEIJING -- Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday told Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari that his visit to the Chinese cities of Wuhan and Shanghai was conducive to promoting pragmatic cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

This October 15, 2008 file photo shows visiting Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari (R) reviews the honour guard with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao during the welcoming ceremony held by Hu Jintao at the Tian'anmen Square, in Beijing, capital city of China. [Xinhua]

Hu spoke with the Pakistani leader, who was in Shanghai, by telephone and told him that exchanges and cooperation between China and Pakistan are increasingly deepening in politics, economy, security and culture.

China and Pakistan support each other and cooperate closely in international and regional affairs, the Chinese president said.

The development of Sino-Pakistani relations has taken on favorable momentum, he said.

The Chinese government pays great attention to the Sino-Pakistani relationship and is willing to make joint efforts with Pakistan to push the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries to a new high, Hu told the Pakistani president.

Zardari, meanwhile, thanked the Chinese side for its warm reception, saying he was pleased with his visit to China.

Pakistan is ready to keep high-level exchanges with China, reinforce mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly push forward the Pakistani-Sino relationship and promote peace and development in the region, he said.

Zardari briefed Hu on the development of the Pakistani-Indian relationship, saying his country is ready to continue advancing active ties with India.

Hu said China supports Pakistan and India's efforts to deal with relevant issues properly through dialogue and cooperation and maintain peace and stability in South Asia.

Invited by the Chinese government, Zardari visited Wuhan and Shanghai on February 20-24.