President Jiang Zemin and his entourage wound up their visit to Russia and arrived yesterday in Minsk, capital of Belarus, for a 22-hour visit.
In a written statement released at his arrival at the airport, Jiang said that he is looking forward to exchanging views on bilateral relations and international issues of common concern with his Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko and other leaders of the country.
He expressed confidence that bilateral relations will achieve greater development in the new century.
Under the July heat, President Jiang joined Russians in paying tribute to the 1.2 million Soviet soldiers who died defending Volgograd, one of the most decisive battles of World War II (1939-45).
Jiang, following three Russian guards who carried a wreath, walked slowly into the hall commemorating the Red Army soldiers in Mamaev Kurgan.
The wreath was dedicated by the Chinese president to "the brave defenders of Stalingrad." Before 1961, Stalingrad was the name for this "hero city" along the Volga River.
Mamaev Kurgan, known as Hill 102 during the battle between July 1942 and February 1943, was the site of the fiercest fighting that lasted for four months.
The hill has been a famous site where the Red Army soldiers have been remembered since the late 1960s, with a 85-metre high statue of a sword-wielding Mother Russia and a hall containing the names of 7,200 soldiers who died in the battle.
The heroic mood impressed the Chinese president, who wrote in the hall's visitor's book, calling for "treasuring world peace and joining hands to build a bright future."
Jiang's words added a final touch to his four-day visit to Russia, during which the president advocated on various occasions for a new type of inter-state relationship between Russia and China based on non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting at third countries.
The words also echoed Jiang's speech given at Moscow State University on Tuesday, pledging to exert joint efforts with Russia to safeguard world peace and stability.
(China Daily 07/19/2001)
