Chinese president visits Lahore
By Andrew Fernandez,WNS Pakistan Correspondent
ISLAMABAD - Chinese President Hu Jintao is in the city of Lahore, known as Pakistan's cultural capital, on the last leg of a visit to the country. He has been holding talks with business leaders and visiting cultural sites. On Friday Mr Hu and the Pakistani President, Gen Pervez Musharraf, signed a number of defence and trade deals. On Saturday, the two countries issued a statement stating their determination to increase military, economic, trade and anti-terrorism co-operation.
"China will continue to view its relations with Pakistan from a strategic and long-term perspective and work together with Pakistan to elevate the China-Pakistan strategic partnership to a new high," the statement said. It added that China thanked Pakistan for its "valuable support on such issues as Taiwan, Tibet and human rights". On Sunday, Mr Hu is due to open a new industrial plant which will be managed chiefly by Chinese companies. Elaborate security arrangements are in force for Mr Hu's trip to Lahore, including the deployment of nearly 8,000 police to line the city's main routes.
Diplomats say the agreements signed on Friday could triple the value of bilateral trade within five years, to $15bn (£7.7bn). The two countries have also agreed new defence and energy deals and pledged to continue nuclear co-operation. Mr Hu arrived in Pakistan on Thursday after three days of political and trade talks with neighbouring India. His visit to Pakistan is the first by a Chinese leader in a decade.
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