With 13 agreements already signed, Pakistan and China were expected to ink additional economic deals worth billions more Saturday, the second day of a rare visit by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to this Muslim nation. The two nations also stressed the importance of cultural exchange by inaugurating a new center dedicated to what Islamabad calls their «all-weather» friendship. During Wen's trip, the first by a Chinese premier in five years, the two governments are to sign deals worth $14 billion for 36 projects in Pakistan, while businesses in the two countries will agree to deals worth another $10 billion, Pakistani Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. The 13 agreements signed Friday included a $229 million donation from China to help with reconstruction from the devastating floods Pakistan suffered earlier this year, as well as a $400 million soft loan for Pakistan, he said.
