China and Pakistan signed a wide-ranging joint statement Saturday on bilateral relations, international and regional situation, economic and trade cooperation, military cooperation and anti-terrorism.

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf (R) shakes hands with Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao in Islamabad November 24, 2006. China signed a free trade pact with old ally Pakistan on Friday as Hu promised to bolster ties to a new level.[Reuters]

The joint statement was signed during Chinese President Hu Jintao's current state visit to Pakistan.

BILATERAL RELATIONS

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The statement hailed Hu's current visit in Pakistan as being highly successful and recalled the history of development of friendly relations and cooperation between China and Pakistan, particularly highlighting the importance of relations and cooperation between the two countries.

It is in the fundamental interests of the two peoples and conducive to regional peace and development to strengthen good-neighborliness and friendship, conduct mutually-beneficial cooperation and enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries, said the statement.

The statement specified that China and Pakistan will further strengthen high-level exchanges in various areas and promote bilateral cooperation in such fields as trade and economy, manufacture, agriculture, information industry, infrastructure construction, human resources development, banking, tourism, defense, anti-terrorism, and international and regional relations.

REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

In the statement, China reaffirmed its respect for Pakistan's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and expressed appreciation and support for the efforts made by Pakistan to promote peace and stability in South Asia and to safeguard its sovereignty and independence.

And Pakistan, for its part, recognized that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China and that Taiwan is an alienable part of China, reaffirming its full support for China's peaceful reunification.

The two sides agreed to continue communication and coordination on regional and international issues in a joint effort to consolidate solidarity and cooperation among the developing countries, safeguard their legitimate rights and interests in the process of globalization, and promote regional and global peace, security and prosperity, the statement said.

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