Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf in his office in Rawalpindi on Wednesday morning received visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan.
Tang Jiaxuan at first conveyed Chinese President Jiang Zemin's congratulations to President Musharraf on his winning support in the referendum from the people to continue his presidency.
He expressed the confidence that under the leadership of President Musharraf and the Pakistani government, the situation in Pakistan will continue to remain stable and the national economy further revive and develop.
Tang Jiaxuan said China and Pakistan are close and friendly neighbors, relations between them have developed healthily. Particularly after entering the new century, the Sino-Pak relations are marching to a new phase with still more vitality.
He was of the view that at present as the situations in the region as well as in the world is undertaking important and profound changes, efforts made by China and Pakistan to consolidate their friendship and cooperation are not only in the common strategic interest of the two peoples, but also in the interest of stabilization of South Asia.
Tang Jiaxuan said the Chinese government is willing to joint hands with Pakistan to sincerely implement the common visions reached by leaders of the two countries and further friendship between the two countries.
President Musharraf said that he agreed wholly with Tang's comments on the Pak-China relations. He said that friendship between the two countries is unbreakable, bilateral cooperation is getting strengthened in various domains.
He said Pakistan is willing to joint hands with China to contribute active efforts to further consolidating and strengthening the friendship between the two countries.
Musharraf gave a brief introduction about the developments in South Asia and the steps and efforts taken by Pakistan for de- escalation of the tense relations between Pakistan and India.
Tang Jiaxuan expressed support to Pakistan's positive steps to promote peace and stability in South Asia. He was of the view that it is important to maintain an impetus to de-escalate the tense relations in South Asia, and every side concerned should be calm toward the disputes and solve them by negotiations.
Tang Jiaxuan arrived here on Tuesday afternoon for an official visit.
(People's Daily May 16, 2002)
