Hu made the remark during a meeting with visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Hu said the Chinese government would maintain the continuity and stability of its domestic and foreign policies. China would concentrate on construction and development and continue to strengthen and expand cooperative and friendly relations with its neighbors.

He said China had always regarded Pakistan as a trustworthy, reliable friend and partner. He thanked Pakistan for its firm support on such issues as Taiwan.

Hu expressed the belief that the all-round cooperative partnership between China and Pakistan would achieve greater progress in the new century.

On the Iraq issue, Hu said the Chinese government had always insisted on a political solution within the framework of the United Nations and made unremitting efforts to this end.

He said it was regrettable that war had broken out and China was deeply worried about the humanitarian disaster and impact on regional and global peace, stability and development that it would cause.

He said peace was the common aspiration of people around the world. China called for the countries involved to stop military actions as soon as possible and return to the correct path of solving the Iraq issue by political means.

He said the Chinese government had already sent and would continue to offer humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people suffering from war.

Jamali conveyed to Chinese leaders the congratulations and greetings from Pakistan President Pervez Musharaf and the Pakistani people.

Jamali said the friendship between the two countries had withstood the test of history and international turbulence, noting that Pakistan had always cherished sound cooperative relations with China and would always support China's principled stance on the Taiwan issue.

The all-round cooperation between the two countries conformed to the interests of the two peoples, he said, noting that he had held fruitful talks with Premier Wen Jiabao and the two countries signed important agreements on enhancing bilateral economic and cultural relations.

Jamali appreciated China's stance on the Iraq issue, saying the peace-loving Pakistani people called for settlement of international disputes through diplomacy.

(Xinhua News Agency March 26, 2003)