ISLAMABAD (APP) - President Asif Ali Zardari Wednesday conferred Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military) on General Hou Shusen, Deputy Chief of General Staff of PLA for promoting friendship between the two countries. The President conferred the award on General Shusen at a special investiture ceremony held here at the Aiwan-i-Sadr. The citation, read on the occasion said the award was in recognition of his consistent and valuable contributions in promoting relations and understanding between the two countries and armies. General Hou Shusen also met the president along with his delegation and discussed matters relating to Pak-China bilateral relations and defence cooperation. The president termed China a factor of stability in the region and said the convergence of interests and unanimity of views on bilateral, regional and international issues has brought the two countries further closer. He said transformation of political and strategic relations into economic partnership would boost socio-economic development besides contributing towards regional stability. The president said the people and Government of Pakistan highly value fraternal relations with China, demonstrated by the fact that the government and people of China have always stood by it in times of distress. He said the two countries will always stand together under all circumstances. He expressed the hope that the visit of General Hou Shusen to Pakistan at a time when the two countries were celebrating 60 years of their friendship and also holding joint military exercises would help further deepen strategic partnership and defence cooperation between the two countries. General Hou Shusen conveyed to the president the greetings and good wishes of Chinese President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. The president said Pakistan was proud of its time-tested and all weather friendship with China and expressed satisfaction over the current progress in defence cooperation between the two countries. General Hou Shusen, Deputy Chief of General staff of the Peoples Liberation Army China, thanked the President for the award of Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military) and assured that defence cooperation between the two countries, would grow with each passing day. The ceremony was attended among others by Lt Gen Liu Yuejun Chief of Staff Lanzhou Military Regional Command, Maj Gen Dan Zhiping Deputy Chief of Staff PLA, Maj Gen Wang Kebin Dy Chief of Operation Deptt, General Staff HQ, PLA, Maj Gen Wu Bing Dy Chief of Military Intelligence Deptt, GS HQ, PLA, Senior Colonel Hang Keguang, Commander of Officer Training Base and other members of delegation. Liu Jian, Chinese ambassador in Pakistan and senior officials of Chinese embassy were also present. Minister for Defence Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, Secretary General to the President M Salman Faruqui, Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Secretary Foreign Affairs Salman Bashir, Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar, Maj (r) Haroon Rashid and other senior officials were also present during the ceremony.