The Chinese premier's upcoming visits to five South Asian countries are expected to give a major boost to friendly ties and cooperation between China and these countries, diplomats said.

Premier Zhu Rongji starts his official visits Friday to Pakistan, Nepal, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

All these nations are close and friendly neighbours of China, according to sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It will be Premier Zhu's first official visits to these countries in the capacity of premier, and they will be the Chinese premier's first visits to foreign countries in the new millennium, said the ministry sources.

Diplomats in Beijing said they believe Zhu's trip will help bolster bilateral collaboration and exchanges in political, economic and cultural spheres.

When commenting on Zhu's visit to his country, Pakistani Ambassador to China Riaz H. Khokhar said he is honoured and very delighted that his country has been chosen as the first stop on Zhu's five-nation tour.

Pakistan became one of the first countries to forge diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China on May 21, 1951. The ambassador believed that grand ceremonies will be held to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of ties in both countries later this month.

"We see the premier's visit as a historic event and a special act of friendship towards Pakistan. He will be given a very warm and friendly welcome," the ambassador said.

The Pakistan-China relationship is deeply rooted in history, and the modern ties are so solid that all such wordings as "all-weather friendship," "time-tested" and "strong and enduring like the Karakoram Mountains" are apt definitions to describe the connection, Khokhar said.

He said the Pakistan-China ties are tension-free and that their friendship benefits both peoples, so that that is regarded as a model relationship.

Sri Lankan Ambassador to China Bernard Goonetilleke also described the ties between his country and China as friendly.

He said the visit of the Chinese premier to Sri Lanka is a timely one, taking into consideration the importance of South Asia politically as well as economically.

The relationship between China and Sri Lanka go back to many centuries, and there is every reason for this close interaction to continue and prosper for the mutual benefit of both peoples, he said in an interview.

He said Sri Lanka and China have helped each other and co-operated very well in many fields in regional and international forums in the past five decades, and China has provided a great deal of economic assistance to Sri Lanka.

Although bilateral trade and investment are not large, they have potential, he said.

The ambassador believed that with the visit of the Chinese premier, the two countries will sign some specific agreements for co-operation in various fields.

He said he hopes China to grant the status of a tourism destination to Sri Lanka because of its abundant and exotic tourist resources.

"I am confident that following the Chinese premier's visit, there will be a renewed interest in Sri Lanka with the Chinese business community and that they will follow in the footsteps of their premier to our country," he said.

The Thai ambassador regards Premier Zhu's visit to his country as of the utmost importance.

"We believe it will bring our traditional friendship to a new high," Don Pramudwinai, ambassador of the Royal Thai Embassy, told China Daily.

In commenting on Zhu's first visit to Thailand after he became premier in 1998, the ambassador said it was "an important event for consolidating and strengthening the friendship of two close neighbours."

He said the frequent bilateral exchanges of high-level visits by government officials and royal family members as well as the frequent meetings of ordinary people from both county's demonstrated the closeness and intimacy of China and Thailand.

Such closeness is the result of concerted efforts by leaders and peoples of both countries over the past decades.

The ambassador believed Zhu's visit will help him become more familiar with Thailand.

Zhu's visit will obviously push overall bilateral ties, including trade and economic co-operation, Pramudwinai said.

( China Daily 05/10/2001 )