Chinese President Hu
Jintao's upcoming state visit to the United States, Canada and
Mexico is aimed at strengthening dialog, increasing mutual trust
and promoting cooperation for common development, Foreign Minister
Li Zhaoxing said Thursday.
Hu will visit the three countries from September 5 to 17.
In between, he will also attend the United Nations 60th anniversary
summit.
Li said the president's visit to the United States will have a
significant impact on the development of China-US ties, which are
currently at an important stage.
China-US relations as a whole remain stable with close
high-level communication and contact, and effective consultation
and coordination in areas concerning the economy, anti-terrorism,
law enforcement, non-proliferation of arms and the Korean Peninsula
nuclear issue.
China and the United States share broad and important common
interests, and China is ready to work together with the United
States to handle bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term
perspective.
Li hopes the countries would show respect for each other, shelve
differences to seek common grounds, improve communication and
cooperation, properly handle differences and further improve the
China-US constructive cooperative relations on the basis of the
three China-US joint communiqués.
"Such moves will not only benefit the two countries' fundamental
interests, but also help promote regional and world peace,
stability and prosperity," Li said.
On Hu's visit to Canada, the first for a Chinese head of state
in eight years, Li said: "I believe the visit will deepen bilateral
cooperation in various fields and upgrade the China-Canada
comprehensive partnership to a new level."
China-Canada relations have developed smoothly over the past 35
years since the two forged diplomatic ties, Li said.
The two countries announced a comprehensive cooperative
partnership in 1997, "which signified that China-Canada relations
have entered a new stage of comprehensive development."
According to Li, the two countries have maintained frequent
high-level contacts and achieved significant results in their
cooperation in the fields of economy, science and technology,
energy resources, agriculture, the environment and health.
"We have also kept close consultation and cooperation in
international affairs," Li added.
Li described Mexico as China's important trade partner and
investment destination in Latin America, saying that as developing
countries, China and Mexico share many common interests and similar
requirements of safeguarding world peace and promoting
development.
The Chinese president's visit to Mexico will help push forward
the bilateral strategic partnership and promote cooperation between
China and Latin America as well as the unity and coordination
between developing countries.
"The Unites States is the largest developed country. Canada
enjoys a flourishing economy and advanced technology. Mexico is an
important developing country. China attaches great importance to
the friendly cooperation with the three countries," Li said.
As for Hu's attending the UN summit, Li said it demonstrated
China's support of the United Nations and would be conducive to
closer China-UN cooperation.
At the summit meeting, Hu will present China's view and stance
on the current international situation and certain major issues,
and put forward specific proposals in relation to UN reform and
international cooperation, Li said.
The summit, which Li believes will exert vital influence to the
future of the United Nations and international relations, takes
place from September 14 to 16 at UN headquarters in New York. Some
122 heads of state and 58 government leaders will attend.
Li said China hopes the summit would produce positive results,
which should include reiterating the commitments to the spirit and
principles enshrined in the UN Charter, safeguarding UN authority,
promoting the settlement of the development issues and implementing
the Millennium Development Goals.
China also hopes the summit would enhance the UN's ability to
cope with threats and challenges through active and prudent
reforms, promote multilateralism and help boost the sound and
harmonious development of international relations.
(Xinhua News Agency August 26, 2005)