Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said Monday that Pakistan and China "should go closer" and learn more from each other.

He made the remarks in an interview with Chinese journalists in Islamabad at the President's House.

Answering a question about his scheduled second visit to China on February 20 as the president, Zardari said the relationship and friendship between Pakistan and China was started by former Pakistani leader and his father-in-law Zulfikar Ali Bhutto around 50 years ago.

"I have always considered that one learns from the wisdom of history and one learns from the wisdom of one's forefathers," Zardari said, with a clear reference to the great contributions Ali Bhutto had made to strengthen the relationship with China.

Zardari also mentioned that a lot of Chinese nationals were working in Pakistan and there were also a large number of Pakistanis in China, a sign that the traditionally friendly relations between the two countries were deep-rooted.

Zardari said his visit to China, which would cover Hubei province and Shanghai city, was aimed at exploring mutually beneficial cooperation with the development and industrial hubs in China.

China was the first destination for Zardari's foreign visit.

He paid his first visit to China in mid-October last year and the Foreign Office of Pakistan said it was his first official visit abroad.

(Xinhua News Agency February 17, 2009)