China and Iceland agreed in Reykjavik on Saturday to step up efforts to further develop bilateral relations in such fields as economy, trade and culture, and cooperation in international affairs.

The agreement was reached when visiting top Chinese legislator Li Peng met separately with Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson and Prime Minister David Oddsson, shortly after his arrival here on a four-day official visit.

During his meeting with President Grimsson, Li Peng, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) of China, said that although China and Iceland are located far apart geographically, the two countries share a great deal of common interests in safeguarding world peace and promoting common development.

The two countries also hold identical and similar views on many important international issues, he noted.

He said China attaches great importance to developing cooperative relations with Iceland and is willing to further promote its cooperation with Iceland in every possible area.

The top Chinese legislator also expressed his hope that his current visit would help push forward relations between the legislative bodies of the two countries.

Grimsson agreed with Li's comment on the development of relations between the two countries. He said that the friendly relationship between Iceland and China is an outstanding example of equal and mutually-beneficial cooperation between countries of different size.

China has always been upholding the principle that all countries, regardless of their size, are equal members of the international community, Li said, adding that he reiterated this principle at the just-concluded millennium summit of the presiding officers of national parliaments at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

And parliamentary leaders from many countries agreed with the points China advocated at the summit, Li said.

At a separate meeting with Icelandic Prime Minister Oddsson, Li said he was deeply impressed by the achievements Iceland has made in its economic and scientific and technological development.

These achievements prove once again that every country can surely succeed in its national development, so long as the people of the country choose the path of development, or the model of economic development, according to the specific conditions of the country, the Chinese leader said.

Oddsson said he hoped Iceland and China would continue to double their efforts to further develop friendly cooperation in every possible field.

He noted that although there are some differences between the two countries, the development of bilateral cooperation is not adversely affected by them.

Like President Grimsson, the prime minister also highly appreciated China's stance that all countries around the world should be equal members of the international community regardless of their difference in size.

(Xinhua 09/3/2000)