The communiqué says Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Pakistani Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali agreed to set up the China-Pakistan friendship forum during their talks in Beijing.

Well-known people and experts in various fields from the two countries will join the forum, which will carry out all kinds of exchanges and activities as well as map out plans to enhance bilateral cooperation in politics, economics, journalism as well as the academic and cultural fields, says the communiqué.

Beijing and Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, will take turns to hold forum meetings, according to the communiqué. The first plenary session will be held in the latter part of this year in Islamabad, but the exact date is yet to be decided.

(Xinhua News Agency March 25, 2003)