Chinese President Hu Jintao met in Boao, Hainan Friday with
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, former Pakistani President Farooq
Ahmed Khan Leghari, and former US President George Bush who are
here to attend the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia
(BFA) Annual Conference 2004.
During his meeting with Hun Sen, Hu extended his congratulations
on the broad consensus on promotion of friendly cooperation and a
number of cooperation documents China and Cambodia signed during
the prime minister's current visit.
China and Cambodia share a long-term friendship. To further
consolidate and develop the traditional friendship is the
historical mission of the leaders of the two countries, Hu
said.
In the new century, Sino-Cambodian ties progressed continuously
and the two countries have become good friends and good neighbors
featuring mutual trust and close cooperation, Chinese president
noted.
The Chinese government and people value the
China-Cambodian friendship and attach importance to the
bilateral cooperation, Hu said.
China will adhere to the principle of "good-neighborliness and
partnership" and implement the policy of promoting friendship,
peace and prosperity with its neighbors, Hu said, adding that China
will support the Cambodian government's efforts in maintaining the
nation's stability, promoting ethnic unity and stimulating economic
development.
China will make joint efforts with Cambodia to push forward the
good-neighborliness and friendly cooperation in width, depth and to
a higher level, the president said.
Hun Sen said during his visit, he met with China's new
leadership and witnessed the great achievements China scored
through reform and opening-up. The visit also bore fruits in
pushing forward bilateral economic cooperation. All of those made
his China tour a very successful one, said the Cambodian prime
minister.
It is a strategic goal of the Cambodian government's foreign
policy to actively develop the overall friendly cooperation with
China, Hun Sen said.
Cambodia hopes to draw on China's experience for development and
welcomes more Chinese companies to invest in Cambodia, he said.
Hun Sen reiterated that the Cambodian government will firmly
adhere to the one-China policy.
During his meeting with Leghari, Hu Jintao spoke highly on the
efforts of the former president in promoting the friendly
cooperation between China and Pakistan.
The
China-Pakistan ties share a friendly and long-term history,
high-level mutual trust, broad support from the public and mutual
benefit in economy, which could serve as the model for China's
relations with its neighbors, Hu said.
The Chinese government always takes the China-Pakistan relations
as a long-term strategy, Hu said, noting that China is willing to
maintain and develop the comprehensive cooperation partnership
together with the Pakistani side, and to explore a more promising
future for the friendly cooperation between the two sides.
Leghari said the friendship of the two peoples stood historical
tests and was widely accepted. It is the premier task of the
present and previous Palestinian government to strengthen the
cooperation between the two sides, he said.
Laghari spoke highly of BFA's achievements in the three years
since its establishment, saying that the forum would play an
important role in promoting the regional cooperation and common
prosperity in Asia.
During talks with former US President Bush, Hu said he hoped
Bush would pay more attention to the forum and that the BFA offers
an important stage for the leaders from all nations to discuss
Asia's development and promote regional cooperation.
When discussing
Sino-US relations, Hu said the two sides have made fresh
progress in trade, anti-terrorism and other affairs in recent
years, which accords with the interests of both sides and is
conducive to the world peace and stability.
China is willing to make joint efforts with the United States to
grasp the overall situation of Sino-US relations, to strengthen
exchanges and cooperation, to properly deal with problems between
the two sides, and to promote the Sino-US relations to continue to
develop steadily.
Hu stressed that the Taiwan issue is the most important and most
sensitive core problem in the bilateral ties.
Firm opposition to "Taiwan independence" is of great importance
to maintain the peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits and
the healthy development of the Sino-US relations, said the Chinese
president.
China attaches importance to US leaders' reiteration that the US
side will adhere to the one-China policy and the three Sino-US
joint communiqués, oppose "Taiwan independence", and oppose the
comments and actions made by the leader of Taiwan leading to
changes of the status quo unilaterally.
China hopes the US side would turn its principles and stands
into actions, Hu said.
Bush said he was glad to attend the annual conference of the BFA
since he can meet not only old friends, but also political and
economic celebrities in Asia and the rest of the world.
He said US-China relations have made important developments in
recent years. The 15th session of the China-US Joint Commission on
Commerce and Trade held in Washington has seen a successful
outcome, which is very important to bilateral relations.
He said President Bush has reiterated that the United States
adheres to the one-China policy and the three US-China joint
communiqués. The US president also highly valued the important role
that China has made in the efforts for peaceful solution to the
nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.
Bush said he is very confident in the bright future of bilateral
relations. Hu and Bush also exchanged views on issues of common
concern.
(Xinhua News Agency April 24, 2004)