Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on his way back from Seoul, South Korea, after attending the Nuclear Security Summit briefly stopped in the Chinese port city Tianjin on Wednesday afternoon.
He was received by Mayor of Tianjin Huang Xing Guo and Ambassador Masood Khan at Tianjin airport.
During the Prime Minister's technical stopover, Mayor Huang along with senior officials of Tianjin city government called on him.
Talking to them, the Prime Minister said that Pakistan and China have a unique relationship spread over six decades.
The Prime Minister said that friendship between Pakistan and China is not only higher than mountains and deeper than oceans but also sweeter than honey and stronger than steel.
The Prime Minister said he started his political career at the grassroots level of district government and fully understands the role they can play in national development.
He said Pakistan wishes to increase economic and trade links with the city of Tianjin in addition to promoting people-to-people contacts.
The Mayor of Tianjin informed the Prime Minister that Tianjin is one of the four most resourceful municipalities in China and briefed him about the economic infrastructure and educational facilities in the city.
The Prime Minister was informed that the seaport of Tianjin is the fourth largest in the world which is also used by Pakistan, Central Asian states, Russia and Mongolia for their trade.
Mayor Huang said that Pakistan and China are good friends, good neighbours and good partners.
He invited the Prime Minister to visit Tianjin during his next visit.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, MNA Syed Samsam Ali Bukhari, Pakistan's Ambassador to the US Sherry Rehman and Pakistan's Ambassador to China Masood Khan also attended the meeting.
