The Pakistani government issued acommemorative postage stamp of five rupees here on Thursday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Pakistani Federal Minister for Postal Services Nawabzada Mir Israr Ullah Khan Zehri and Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan unveiled the stamp issued by the Pakistan Post at its headquarters in Islamabad.

Zehri said that Pak-China friendship spans over half a century and is imbued by a high degree of trust and commonality of interests.

"The all-weather friendship between China and Pakistan has withstood the test of time and has prospered notwithstanding changes in the international, regional and domestic environment," he said, adding "the four visits of President Asif Ali Zardari to China in less than a year is a testament to our growing multifaceted cooperation."

Luo Zhaohui, Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, said that Sino-Pakistan relations are time-tested and multi-dimensional. He said that the Chinese people and the government always remember what Pakistan had done for them when most western countries were trying to isolate China.

The Chinese ambassador said that Pakistan was the first Muslim country to establish diplomatic relations with China and took the bold step of being the first non-socialist country sign an Air Services Agreement with China, which is greatly appreciated by the Chinese people and the government.

Luo said that he was confident that the Sino-Pakistan friendship, which is "higher than the Himalayas, deeper than the Arabian sea and sweeter than honey," would be further enhanced through the two countries' cooperation in all the fields.

(Xinhua News Agency October 1, 2009)