ISLAMABAD, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Sunday said Pakistan was proud of its friendship with China and would further strengthen the multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries.

In an interview before his visit toChina, Aziz told Xinhua that Pakistan and China would sign over 20 agreements and MoUs covering technology, education, banking, infrastructure and investment during his stay in China starting from April 16.

Describing the Sino-Pakistani relationship as "deeper than deepest ocean, higher than highest mountain," the prime minister said,Pakistan and Pakistanis are very proud of the friendship and relationship with China, which are "based on principle, on shared-values, and desire to work together for peace and prosperity."

Talking about the increasingly consolidated bilateral economic cooperation, Aziz mentioned the economic zone dedicated to Chinese investors, on which an agreement was signed during Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit toPakistan in November 2006.

Aziz expressed hope that Chinese investors would usePakistan as a hub for exporting goods to the rest of the world and to meet the Pakistani local market that has a 160-million-strong population.

Aziz saidChina's economic transformation in last two decades has created a history, which has been recognized by the world as an "impressive, creative and positive" development for other countries to follow.

"China has shown that through excellent leadership and hard work of the people and determination, it has transformed to be the world's fastest growing economy, a country which diplomatically, politically, is expanding its influence around the whole world," he said.

Inspired byChina's development, Aziz said, Pakistan has seen a growth rate of over 7 percent and a record foreign investment of nearly 6 billion dollars this year, he said.

Aziz will pay an official visit toChina on April 16-20 at the invitation of Chinese Primer Wen Jiabao. He will also attend the annual Bo'ao Forum for Asia (BFA) in Hainan Province on April 20-21.