Your Excellency,

Madam Hu Jintao,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the Government and people of Pakistan and in my own name, I wish to extend to you a very warm welcome in Pakistan. I also want to extend, through Your Excellency, the cordial greetings and best wishes of the people of Pakistan to the people of China.

It is a special pleasure for us to receive Your Excellency in Pakistan as this year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations. Your visit to Pakistan is a high point of these celebrations and is a befitting tribute to the all-weather and time-tested friendship that exists between our two peoples. Your visit is also another important milestone in the closer friendship and cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China.

Excellency,

The friendship between our peoples has a long history of rich interaction spreading over two millennium. In ancient times, the people of Pakistan and China created splendid and distinctive civilizations. In modern history, our peoples waged heroic struggles against subjugation, and wrote a glorious chapter in the pursuit of freedom, human dignity and economic development.

We have different systems and cultures. Yet, we have weaved together all strands of our relations into a beautiful mosaic. We have forged close bonds of friendly cooperation in diverse fields. It is not an exaggeration when we say that the friendly ties between Pakistan and China is a shining example of good neighborly relations. Our friendship has remained constant and unchanged regardless of the transformed global circumstances. The bedrock of our bilateral bonds is a strong faith and trust in each other, which we have nurtured with care and devotion.

We share idealism for a safe, secure and prosperous neighborhood with our regions free from strife and conflict, and a world embracing peace, harmony and understanding. We want this vision to be translated into reality.

Excellency,

Although the world today is undergoing profound and complex changes, cooperation for peace and development remains the dominating theme of the times. There is a growing trend towards multi-polarity and economic globalization. Science and technology are making unprecedented advances, regional cooperation is deepening and there is increasing interdependence among nations. All this has created rare opportunities for development. On the other hand, imbalance in global development, widening gap between North and South and the combination of traditional and non-traditional security threats pose a daunting challenge to developing countries in their pursuit of sustainable development.

China has made an admirable contribution to global peace and development. Its moral voice in international affairs and its efforts to uphold principles of equity and justice are a source of strength for the developing countries. We applaud and support your efforts to create a harmonious world.

The spectacular economic growth achieved by China is a source of inspiration for all developing countries including Pakistan. The credit is due both to China's visionary leadership and to its industrious people. China's economic rise is a strength for Asia and augurs well for global economic development. As a neighbor and longstanding friend, we rejoice in your achievements and seek ever-closer and comprehensive economic cooperation for mutual benefit.

On this occasion, we acknowledge with gratitude the steadfast support given to Pakistan, in all domains, by our Chinese friends. There are many important symbols of this cooperation: the Karakoram Highway, the Gwadar Port and the Chashma Power Plant are only a few of the projects that we have completed with your help.

Excellency,

There is a convergence of interests of our two countries on the global and regional levels and commonality of approach to advance the international agenda for peace and prosperity. In this context, we are grateful for China's invaluable support to our admission in the Asia ? Europe Meeting and we welcome China's association with SAARC as an observer. Our comprehensive cooperation and robust partnership is in the fundamental interest of our peoples and conducive to peace, progress and stability of Asia.

We are committed to upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, respecting diversity and promoting democracy in international relations. International security cooperation should be based on mutual trust and addressing concerns through consultation and coordination so that we can jointly respond to threats and challenges to global security.

Excellency,

We desire a peaceful environment in our region in the interest of our development and to raise the living standards of our people. Consistent with this aspiration, we seek peaceful resolution of all issues with India including the longstanding Jammu and Kashmir dispute. Success in this endeavor would usher in a new era of peace and prosperity in South Asia. Similarly, a stable Afghanistan will open up vast opportunities for Pakistan and indeed for the regional countries. Pakistan has fully supported every international effort for peace and stability in Afghanistan. We also call for earliest restoration of sovereignty in Iraq and implementation of the Road Map for Peace in the Middle East. History and circumstances have placed us in the forefront of the global fight against terrorism. We are determined to fight this grave threat of our time.

Pakistan lies at the confluence of South Asia, the Gulf region and Central Asia. We want to leverage this unique location for beneficial economic and trade interaction between these regions and for Pakistan to become a hub of trade and communication activity. We have also offered energy corridors from the Gulf and Central Asia for supply of gas to Pakistan, India and China.

Excellency,

I visited China twice this year. I am confident that these visits and Your Excellency's current visit will help us chart a clear trajectory of Pakistan-China partnership in the 21st century.

Pakistan values its friendship with China. It remains our abiding endeavour to strengthen cooperation with China. Together, Pakistan and China will continue to forge ahead towards new and higher horizons in building a better future for our people and promoting international peace and stability and prosperity.

Mr. President and Madam Hu Jintao, I wish you health and happiness and the Chinese nation a peaceful and prosperous future.

Long live Pakistan-China friendship.

Thank you.