Wu
Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National
People's Congress (NPC), called in Oslo Thursday for closer
cooperation with Norway.
Wu made the call at a meeting with his Norwegian counterpart
Joergen Haarek Kosmo.
He said the past 50 years had seen smooth and comprehensive
development in bilateral ties characterized by mutual trust and
fruitful economic cooperation.
Wu said closer cooperation between the two countries not only
served their interests but also contributed to world peace and
development.
China and Norway, he said, shared common interests, held
identical views on issues of peace and development and were willing
to resolve their differences through dialogue.
Both countries' economies could supplement each other and had
great potentials to be exploited, Wu said.
He said China had become Norway's biggest trading partner in
Asia. Total trade volume between the two countries reached US$1.76
billion last year, an increase of 21.7 percent over the previous
year.
Wu appreciated Norway's support for the one-China policy, saying
the Taiwan issue concerned China's sovereignty and territorial
integrity.
He listed the reunification of Taiwan as a major historic task
facing the nation.
Wu also briefed Kosmo on the economic and social developments in
China over the past 25 years of opening up and reform.
Kosmo said the rapid economic developments in China caught the
eyes of the whole world, and the business and financial circles in
Norway showed great interest in investing in China.
He said Norway and China had different national conditions, and
therefore they applied different measures to solve their own
problems.
The Norwegian Parliament was willing to promote ties with its
Chinese counterpart, he stressed.
Also on Thursday, Wu met separately with Norwegian King Harald V
and Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik Christian Mejdahl to
exchange views with them on bilateral ties and issues of mutual
concern.
Norway is the last leg of Wu's four-nation European tour that
had already taken him to Russia, Bulgaria and Denmark.
(Xinhua News Agency June 4, 2004)