Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji made the remarks in Vienna Friday at a meeting with Austrian National Council President Heinz Fischer and Federal Council President Ludwig Bieringer.

During the meeting, Zhu conveyed China's top legislator Li Peng's greetings and said Sino-Austrian relations have had a sound development with active exchanges in politics, economy, culture, education, science and technology.

He said China is satisfied with the development and his meetings with Austrian leaders have shown that there is no obstacle to the bilateral friendship.

He stressed that exchanges and cooperation between the two parliaments are of significance to the development of bilateral ties, welcoming more Austrian parliamentarians to visit China to enhance mutual understandings and friendship.

Zhu also briefed the two Austrian parliament leaders on the coming 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), saying that the CPC will continue the reform and opening-up policy and build China into a better country.

Fischer said Austrian parliament firmly supports the development of Austria-China friendship and cooperation, and Austrian parties, despite their different views, share the same idea on furthering bilateral relations.

The Austrian parliament sticks to a "one-China" policy, noted Fischer.

He expressed his admiration for China's achievements in the past years as he visited China often since 1974.

Bieringer said China is an influential country in the world and it conforms to the common interest of both Europe and China to strengthen their cooperation as the European Union is to expand and will have more population and area and greater economic power.

Austria will spare no effort to push forward the development of Europe-China relations.

Zhu arrived in Vienna Thursday evening on a four-day official visit to Austria at the invitation of Austrian Federal Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel.

(China Daily September 21, 2002)