On April 17, 2007, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao held talks with visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz at the Great Hall of the People. The two sides agreed to make joint efforts to upgrade the China-Pakistan strategic cooperative partnership to a new level.

Wen expressed his congratulations on the 60th anniversary of Pakistan's independence and spoke highly of the great achievements the industrious and wise Pakistani people have made in building the country.

Wen said the two countries are close neighbors linked by mountains and rivers, good and highly reliable friends, good cooperative partners of mutual benefits and good brothers sharing weal and woe. The signing of the treaty for friendship, cooperation and good-neighborly relations between the two countries in 2005 has placed both peoples' aspiration for long-term friendship in legal forms. Last year the two presidents exchanged visits successfully, during which both sides charted the direction for the development of China-Pakistan strategic cooperative partnership. All this marks bilateral ties have entered a new stage for development, Wen added.

Wen pointed out that it is the unswerving policy of the Chinese government to boost the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Pakistan. China is ready to make concerted efforts with Pakistan to improve the strategic cooperative partnership "to a new level".

Aziz said Pakistani people shared friendly feelings with the Chinese people and were proud of the Pakistan-China friendship as well as the achievements China has made in multiple areas. The Pakistan-China all-weather ties have endured the test of time and the two peoples have shown sincere friendship and mutual support to each other, he said. The frequent exchanges of visits at all levels helped boost cooperation, Aziz said. To develop friendly relations with China was an important component of Pakistan's foreign policies and Pakistan would like to continue to step up the mutually beneficial cooperation with China to foster the friendship and mutual trust and further bilateral ties, he added.

The two leaders reached consensus on deepening bilateral cooperation in all areas in the following four aspects.

First, the two sides agreed to actively implement the China-Pakistan free trade agreement and a five-year plan for economic and trade cooperation, pledging to accelerate negotiations on service trade in the free trade zone and encourage the mutual investment from the two business communities. They also pledged to adjust trade mix and push trade ties to develop in a rapid and balanced way.

Second, they agreed to expand exchanges in the cultural field to build up mutual understanding and consolidate the traditional friendship.

Third, the two sides agreed to cement cooperation in non-traditional security areas and jointly fight against "East Turkistan" separatists and cross-border crimes.

Fourth, both countries should also intensify coordination and communication on multilateral issues in an effort to safeguard stability and promote the development in South Asia, they added.

Both sides also exchanged views on key international and regional issues.

Following the talks, the two leaders attended a signing ceremony of several cooperation agreements in the fields of economic and technological cooperation, criminal judicative assistance, avoidance of double taxation and prevention of tax evasion, the implementation of a five-year plan for economic and trade cooperation, and communications cooperation.

Prior to the talks, Wen Jiabao hosted a welcoming ceremony for Aziz's visit in the North Hall of the Great Hall of the People. Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party Sang Guowei, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, Director of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense Zhang Yunchuan, Minister of Communications Li Shenglin, Vice-Chairman of State Development and Reform Commission Chen Deming, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Luo Zhaohui and other officials attended the ceremony.