Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in Beijing Wednesday it is his hope that both China and Pakistan will take concrete measures to promote bilateral relations.

During a meeting with visiting Pakistani Senate Chairman Muhammadmian Soomro, Wen said both sides should substantiate the Sino-Pakistani joint declaration on the directions of bilateral cooperation signed between Chinese President Hu Jintao and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in Beijing last November.

Wen spoke highly of bilateral relations and the Pakistani Senate's contributions to the development of bilateral friendship and cooperation in the past years.

He also mentioned the car explosion, which occurred in May this year in Gwadar, about 500 km west of Karachi of Pakistan, and caused three Chinese killed and 11 people injured including nine Chinese and two Pakistanis. Hundreds of Chinese were working on a deep seaport there on the Arabian Sea coastline when the explosion occurred.

Wen, once again, asked Pakistan to find out the facts as early as possible and seriously punish those responsible.

He said there are more than 3,000 Chinese people working in Pakistan, and that the Chinese government is very concerned about them. He expressed his hope that Pakistan will take concrete measures to ensure their safety.

Soomro arrived in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's XinjiangUygur Autonomous Region, on July 24 to start his official visit to China.

Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), and Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), respectively met with Soomro here Monday. They all expressed willingness to enhance exchanges between the parliaments of the two countries.

(Xinhua News Agency August 4, 2004)