ISLAMABAD: Chinese
President Xi Jinping has expressed the desire to take existing bilateral relationship with Pakistan to new heights.
He expressed the desire in a message to
President
Mamnoon Hussain on his birthday. In the message,
President Xi said he was willing to work with
President
Mamnoon “together to push forward the continuous progress of bilateral relations between China and Pakistan”.
President Xi also recalled his friendly and in-depth discussions with
President Mam
noon held at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Tashkent last June.
In reply, the
President thanked his Chinese counterpart for extending the good wishes and said that the role of
President Xi Jinping in bringing Paki
stan and China closer was very important.
He said that Paki
stan and China were not only reliable friends but also strategic partners. Mam
noon said Pakistan valued its friendship with China, which “is an all-weather and trusted friend of Pakistan”.