Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao and Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin
Abdul-Aziz held talks?Saturday and they reached important
consensus on strengthening bilateral cooperation in various fields
and pushing forward the development of bilateral strategic
friendship and cooperation.
Hu, who arrived here earlier Saturday on his first state visit
to Saudi Arabia, said China attached importance to bilateral
relationship.
He said bilateral relations have made remarkable progress since
the two countries established diplomatic ties in July 1990, and the
two countries have become good friends with mutual trust and good
partners with sincere cooperation.
The consensus reached between the two sides at the beginning of
this year on establishing strategic friendship and cooperation
marks a new era in the development of bilateral ties, Hu added.
He said his current visit was aimed at furthering bilateral
friendship and cooperation in various fields and the continuous
development of bilateral strategic friendship and cooperation.
China will work with Saudi Arabia to consolidate mutual trust,
conduct exchanges in various fields and at various levels, and lay
a firm foundation for the development of bilateral ties, said
Hu.
China will also work with Saudi Arabia to strengthen
consultations and coordination on major international and regional
issues, expand consensus, and make efforts to promote peace and
stability in the Middle East and Gulf region, the Asia-Pacific and
the world at large, said the Chinese president.
Hu attributed the smooth development of bilateral relations to
their reciprocal and win-win principle and pragmatic cooperation,
and listed the following five key areas for bilateral cooperation
at the present stage:
-- To expand investment and cooperation between enterprises of
the two countries. China encourages Chinese enterprises to take
part in Saudi infrastructural construction and help Saudi Arabia
train personnel in the fields of industrial and agricultural
technology, vocational education, environmental treatment, and
information technology.
-- To deepen energy cooperation, expand oil trade, and explore
cooperation in oil storage facilities, oil refining, petrochemicals
and sales.
-- To expand bilateral trade. China will make joint efforts with
Saudi Arabia to speed up the process of the negotiations on a free
trade area between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC).
-- To promote cultural and educational exchanges to enhance
mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.
-- To perfect bilateral cooperation mechanisms and give full
play to them.
Echoing Hu's remarks, King Abdullah said Saudi Arabia hoped to
cultivate sincere friendship and conduct all-round cooperation with
China. He added that bilateral cooperation benefited both countries
and peace, stability and prosperity in the region.
The two heads of state also exchanged views on regional
situations, the Palestinian-Israeli conflicts and the Iraq
issue.
Hu said China was paying close attention to the situations in
the Middle East and the Gulf region and making its own efforts to
promote peace and development in the region.
He said China held the view that all actions and initiatives
concerning the region should proceed from the purpose of realizing
regional peace, while dialogue should be taken as a means of
realizing peace.
The choices of the countries and their peoples should also be
respected and extensive consultations should be applied, Hu
added.
He said China would strengthen coordination and cooperation with
Saudi Arabia to jointly promote stability and development in the
region.
King Abdullah voiced his appreciation for China's constructive
role in realizing regional peace and promoting economic and social
development, hoping that China would pay more attention to issues
in the region and continue to play a positive role in resolving
such issues.
The two heads of state attended a signing ceremony for bilateral
cooperative documents after the talks.
On Saturday evening, Hu attended a banquet hosted by King
Abdullah.
Saudi Arabia is the second leg of Hu's five-nation tour which
has already taken him to the United States and will also take him
to Morocco, Nigeria and Kenya.
Saudi Arabia is China's biggest trade partner in west Asia and
north Africa with their trade volume last year reaching US$16
billion.
(Xinhua News Agency April 23, 2006)
