On September 7, 2008, Chinese President Hu Jintao sent a message to Asif Ali Zardari, extending sincere congratulations and best wishes for his being elected Pakistani President.

China and Pakistan are friendly neighbors that are joined by common mountains and rivers, and peoples of the two countries have developed a profound all-weather friendship, said Hu in the congratulatory message. In the last 57 years since the establishment of the diplomatic ties, the two sides have trusted each other and treated each other as equals politically, shared mutually beneficial cooperation and common development economically, and enjoyed remarkably fruitful and ever expanding exchanges and cooperation in other fields, Hu said. When dealing with international and regional affairs, the two countries have supported each other and coordinated closely, he said. The Sino-Pakistani friendship brings about tangible benefits to the two peoples and makes active contributions to peace, stability and development of the region and the world as a whole, Hu said. In the new historical period, China is willing to join hands with Pakistan to carry forward the traditional friendship, jointly create a bright future and promote the Sino-Pakistani strategic cooperative partnership to a new level, so as to remain good neighbors, good friends, good brothers and good partners forever, Hu added.