"China respects, understands and supports all measures taken by the Pakistani government to maintain domestic peace and stability, and promote economic development," Hu said, according to Xinhua news agency.

"China admires the achievements made by President Musharraf and the Pakistani government in the domestic and diplomatic fields in the past years," Hu was quoted as saying.

Hu made the remark while meeting with Musharraf in Sanya, a city on the southern Chinese island of Hainan.

Musharraf is on a visit to China amid ongoing unrest at home, with a number of deaths resulting from clashes between his supporters and opponents in Karachi.

Paramilitary troops and police have been deployed to the Pakistani port city, the worst violence to hit the country since a new government hostile to Musharraf won elections in February.

Pakistan is one of China's oldest allies in Asia, as Beijing has traditionally used the country as a counterbalance against India, the dominant power in the southern part of the continent.

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