Premier Zhu Rongji Arrives in Pakistan for Official Visit

Premier Zhu Rongji Arrives in Pakistan for Official Visit

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At the invitation of Pakistani Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji arrived in Islamabad Friday afternoon for an official visit to Pakistan to consolidate the two countries' traditional friendship and deepen their mutual beneficial cooperation.

Zhu's special plane arrived at the Chaklala Air Base at around 12:50 p.m. local time. Pakistani Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf and his wife, along with some senior government officials, welcomed Zhu Rongji and his wife Lao An at the air base.

In a written speech distributed at the airport, Zhu said that China and Pakistan are close friendly neighbors. With the concerted efforts of the governments and peoples of the two countries, the good-neighborly friendship and cooperation between China and Pakistan have withstood the test of time and vicissitudes.

He said that on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, the two countries treat each other with sincerity and trust and cooperate closely.

In particular, the Chinese Premier said, he is convinced this visit will further consolidate and strengthen the traditional friendship between China and Pakistan, and help to promote steadily the China-Pakistan partnership of all-round cooperation.

Zhu's entourage include his wife Lao An, Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Shi Guangsheng and officials from the State Economic and Trade Commission and Export-Import Bank of China.

Starting from Pakistan, the first foreign country visited by the Chinese Premier in 2001, Zhu will go on to visit Nepal, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand.