Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday met with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in New York respectively to discuss bilateral relations.

During his meet with Zapatero, Wen noted that the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Spain in recent years has benefited both countries, and he is looking forward to more mutual investment, as well as more cooperation and exchange in areas such as culture, science and technology between the two countries.  

Wen also called for closer Sino-Spanish relations in international organizations such as the United Nations.

Zapatero said that Spain hopes to maintain and strengthen the existing friendly relations of cooperation between Spain and China, and is willing to further increase bilateral trade and promote exchange between enterprises from the two countries, and strengthen bilateral cooperation in such fields as investment and telecommunication.

When meeting with Zardari, Wen first congratulated Zardari for his assumption of office as the Pakistani president, and expressed his wish for Pakistan's better future.

Wen spoke highly of the all-weather friendship and all-round cooperation between China and Pakistan, and noted that to consolidate and further develop the two countries' relations of strategic cooperation is an unswerving policy of the Chinese government.

Zardari responded by saying that the Sino-Pakistan friendship had been deeply rooted in the hearts of the Pakistani people, and he would work unwaveringly to keep developing the two countries' relations of friendly cooperation.

(Xinhua News Agency September 26, 2008)