Cooperation between
China and Kyrgyzstan is expected to leap forward in the coming
decade.
The two countries plan to work together in such fields as trade,
communications, energy and mining in the next ten years, said
visiting Premier Wen
Jiabao during talks with Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev
Wednesday.
Wen is the first Chinese premier to visit Kyrgyzstan since
Premier Li Peng's visit?in 1994.
Wen said the China-Kyrgyzstan Good Neighbourly Treaty on
Friendship and Cooperation, signed in 2002, and the settlement of
border issues paved the way for more political trust.
Akayev said establishing and developing friendly and cooperative
relations with China was his country's most significant achievement
since it declared independence.
In a joint statement signed by Wen and Kyrgyz Prime Minister
Nikolai Tanayev on Tuesday and released Wednesday, the two
countries pledged to fully tap potential areas of cooperation such
as politics, economy, trade, security and culture.
The two prime ministers also signed a compendium on cooperation
priorities and programs for the next ten years.
Noting that economic and trade collaboration spearheads
bilateral relations, Akayev said the compendium will effectively
enhance such ties.
The priorities include maintaining a constant and steady growth
in trade and joint efforts on economic and technological
projects.
Trade reached US$314 million last year and US$307 million in the
first eight months of this year.
China and Kyrgyzstan will also work together in communications,
ports, energy, agriculture, food processing, aviation, textile,
science and technology, telecommunications and finance.
To that end, both countries will use joint committees on trade
and economy and other cooperative mechanisms.
Both countries will move to facilitate trade, investment and
other business activities and take effective measures to ensure
people's personal and property safety.
At the same time, border trade will be encouraged and a
consultation mechanism to promote cooperation in the border region
will be created.
China and Kyrgyzstan agreed to facilitate railway, aviation and
highway links and in particular renovate and open the
China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekstan transnational highway as soon as
possible.
They will further implement a framework agreement on energy
cooperation signed in 2002 and encourage Chinese enterprises to
participate in the construction of oil, electricity and mineral
resource projects in Kyrgyzstan.
Akayev said Kyrgyzstan will firmly adhere to the one-China
policy.
The joint statement says Kyrgyzstan opposes any attempt to make
"two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan," "Taiwan independence," or
Taiwan joining any international and regional organization open
only to sovereign countries. It says Kyrgyzstan will not establish
official relationship with Taiwan.
At the same time, China and Kyrgyzstan will work together to
crack down on terrorism, separatism and extremism including East
Turkistan groups. Both agreed the fight against the forces in East
Turkistan is an important component of the international
anti-terrorism drive.
Wen Wednesday also met with Abdygany Erkebayevich Erkebayev,
speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Supreme Council of
Kyrgyzstan and Altay Borubayev, speaker of the Assembly of People's
Representative of the Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan.
In addition, he held separate meetings with Kazakh Prime
Minister Daniyal Akhmetov, Tajik Prime Minister Akil Akilov and
Uzbek Prime Minister Utkur Sultanov Wednesday afternoon.
The third meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization among
prime ministers from the member states will be held today.
(China Daily September 23, 2004)