China will continue to develop its friendly cooperative relations with Myanmar based on the five principles of peaceful coexistence, including non-interference in each other's internal affairs, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Tuesday.

 

China hopes Myanmar to achieve political stability, economic development and national reconciliation, said Wen while meeting Myanmar's Prime Minister Soe Win, who attended the commemorative summit marking the 15th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue partnership.

 

The five principles -- mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful existence -- were advocated in a joint declaration when late Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai visited Myanmar in June 1954.

 

The government of Myanmar is committed to political stability, national reconciliation and economic development in the country, said Soe Win.

 

Since the government adopted a policy of national reconciliation in 1989, 17 anti-government armed groups in Myanmar have made peace with the government, returning to the legal fold under respective ceasefire agreements.

 

Soe Win recalled the two countries' friendly ties in history, saying that China-Myanmar relations had kept moving forward in recent years.

 

He thanked China's support and assistance to Myanmar's economic development, and welcomed Chinese enterprises to continuously participate in Myanmar's infrastructure construction.

 

China has attached great importance to the cooperation with Myanmar in fighting drug trafficking. The two sides should strengthen this cooperation within both bilateral and multilateral frameworks, Wen said.

 

Soe Win said Myanmar was fully prepared to work with China to combat drug trafficking and other cross-border crimes.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 1, 2006)