China and Kyrgyzstan, two members of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO), signed a joint declaration yesterday, pledging
to strengthen cooperation on border control and security to further
consolidate bilateral ties.
President Hu Jintao and Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek
Bakiyev made the deal after an hour's meeting in the Great Hall of
the People in downtown Beijing.
Hu said China is willing to join hands with Kyrgyzstan to
continue to fight against the three forces of terrorism, extremism
and separatism to maintain regional peace and stability.
The two countries signed a series of documents to this effect
and set up a mechanism for cooperation.
The two leaders also vowed to crack down on all forms of
terrorism including East Turkistan terrorist forces under the SCO
multilateral mechanism.
Besides anti-terrorism, China and Kyrgyzstan also see common
ground in advancing the substantive cooperation and sealed another
13 accords in the fields of economy and technology, intellectual
property protection, education, sports and loans.
The China CAMC Engineering Company sealed a deal with a Kyrgyz
counterpart to build a cement factory with 2,500 tons of daily
production, the first commercial deal under the US$900 million loan
from China to SCO member states.
According to Ren Hongbin, president of the China National
Machinery Industry Corporation, the project is worth US$77.8
million.
China has offered SCO member states US$900 million worth of
loans in the form of preferential buyers' credit for members who
buy Chinese exports. China would offer favorable conditions on
these loans.
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev also held talks with Premier
Wen Jiabao and top legislator Wu Bangguo earlier on Friday afternoon.
He also attended the China-Kyrgyz business forum and visited the
compound of the China CAMC Engineering Company this morning before
returning to Kyrgyzstan in the afternoon.
He is scheduled to return to China next Thursday to attend the
SCO summit meeting, which will be held in Shanghai.
(China Daily June 10, 2006)