ISLAMABAD March 23 (APP): The Chinese President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister on Monday congratulated the government and the people of Pakistan on National Day and assured the Sino-Pak Strategic Partnership of Cooperation will be further expanded and deepend. Chinese President Hu Jintao in a message to President Asif Ali Zardari said: “Excellency, since you took the office of President of Pakistan last year, you have attached great importance to Sino-Pak relations and pushed our bilateral cooperation in various areas by practicing what you advocated. I wish to express  my deep appreciation in this regard.”

China and Pakistan are good neighbors, good friends, good partners and good brothers, he said and added, the Sino-Pak friendship is not only in the fundamental interests of China and Pakistan and their peoples, “but also benefits to regional peace and development.”

President Hu Jintao said he was “firmly confident that under the joint efforts by our two  sides, the Sino-Pak Strategic Partnership of Cooperation will surely be further expanded and deepened.” 

He said over the past 58 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, “the all-weather friendship and all-round cooperation between our two countries have withstood various tests and kept on moving forward.”

He wished good health to President Asif Ali Zardari and ever-growing prosperity for Pakistan and happiness for its people.

Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao in his message to Prime Mininster Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said Pakistan has been China’s close and friendly neighbor for more than half a century.

“The Sino-Pak relationship based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, has become even stronger with the passage of time despite various international changes, thus providing a model of harmonious co-existence and sincere cooperation between states of different social systems.”

He said the Chinese Government has consistently treated and promoted the Sino-Pak relationship from a strategic and long-term view. “I am willing to work with Your Excellency and carry forward the Sino-Pakistan Strategic Partnership of Cooperation to  a new high.”

Wen Jiabao expressed warm congratulations and best wishes to Prime Minister Yusuf Gilani and to the Government of Pakistan. He also wished ever-growing prosperity for Pakistan and happiness for the people. 

The Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in his message to his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi said China and Pakistan are all-weather friends and all-round cooperative partners. 

“We are glad to see that, under the joint efforts by our two governments and peoples, we have  deepened our exchanges and  cooperation in such fields as politics, economy, security and culture.”

Yang Jiechi said the two countries have supported each other and coordinated closely in international and regional issues.

“In the years to come,I would like to work along with Your Excellency and make unremitting efforts for the further development of the  Sino-Pakistan Strategic Partnership of Cooperation.”

He wished the Prime Minister all the success and ever-growing prosperity to Pakistan.