Jintao on four-day visit to Pak from Nov 23

Islamabad, Nov 7 (UNI) Chinese President Hu Jintao will be on a four-day visit to Pakistan beginning November 23 for talks with Pakistani leaders on ways to further reinforce bilateral cooperation, especially in the economic, trade and defence sectors.

''China and Pakistan enjoy all-weather and time-tested friendship, which has been passed from generation to generation invigorated by deep affection, mutual trust and complete understanding,'' Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam said here today while formally announcing dates of the visit.

The cooperation in the ''peaceful use of nuclear energy'' is likely to figure prominently during the talks between the two parties.

China helped Pakistan to develop a nuclear power plant, a 300-megawatt commercial nuclear plant known as 'CHASHNUPP-1', at Chashma town-- south-west of Islamabad, while work on the second plant at the same site is underway.

China had also agreed previously to help the country develop more nuclear power plants of up to 600 megawatts, during President Pervez Musharraf's visit to Beijing last February.

Pakistan has also been asking the United States and other member countries of the 44-member Nuclear Suppliers' Group to help meet its growing energy requirements by extending cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Pakistan plans to produce 8,800 megawatts of electricity through nuclear energy by 2030.

Ms Aslam said the visit would be another landmark in the traditional friendship and strategic partnership between the two countries.

The talks will also focus on identifying new joint ventures in the defence field.

The defence cooperation between Pakistan and China dates back to early 1960s when the latter extended financial and technical support to Islamabad to develop heavy industries and aeronautical complex near here, which are now manufacturing tanks and armoured personnel carriers, plus overhauling the whole range of combat aircraft being flown by the country's Air Force.

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is currently flying Chinese-made Karakoram-8 jet trainers as well as F-7, F-7PGs and A-5s combat aircrafts.

The two countries have also jointly manufactured JF-17 (Thunder) combat aircraft, which had its inaugural operational flight in the Chinese city of Chengdu on May 10.

The aircraft is scheduled to begin duty in the PAF next year, followed by serial production in the country.

China also agreed to sell four F-22P frigates to Pakistan. The first ship is to enter the service by 2008. Two each will be built in China and Pakistan.

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