Visiting Chinese top legislator Wu Bangguo said on Tuesday that China and Greece should further deepen their economic and trade cooperation.

 

Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress (NPC), made the call in a speech at the opening ceremony of Sino-Greek Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum in Athens.

 

Both China and Greece boast ancient civilizations, Wu said, adding that although separated by mountains and water, the two peoples had developed their friendship over centuries.

 

"Bilateral political ties have been strengthened continuously on the basis of equality, mutual respect and benefit since the establishment of diplomatic ties 34 years ago," said China's top legislator.

 

With increasingly brisk exchanges between the two sides, Sino-Greek relations have embraced the prime time to work together, he added.

 

Wu said Sino-Greek trade had topped US$500 million in 2000 and reached US$2.02 billion last year. There are 58 ongoing projects with Greece's direct investment in China, and the project contracts signed between the two countries have amounted to a value of US$290 million.

 

In the speech, the top Chinese legislator made a three-point proposal on how to deepen Sino-Greek economic and trade cooperation.

 

Deepening cooperation in traditional areas

 

China and Greece have laid a sound foundation for their cooperation in such traditional areas as shipping and ship-building, which complement one another, Wu said.

 

He said Greece was a globally important shipping hub with the largest merchant fleet, while China was the third largest country of trade in the world and the third largest ship-building nation with abundant human resources.

 

"The two sides should carry out strategic cooperation in the fields of shipping, ship-building, harbor construction, and develop a long-term and stable partnership for mutual benefit and win-win results," Wu said.

 

China welcomes Greek enterprises with substantial strength to invest in China's ship-building and vessel reparation projects, and to support capable Chinese enterprises to make investment in Greek harbor and port construction, Wu said.

 

Expanding cooperation in new areas

 

The top legislator also urged China and Greece to cooperate in new fields like tourism and the Olympic Games.

 

He said Greece had rich experiences in the development of tourism which is its traditional industry, while China is the world's largest source of tourists and the biggest potential tourism market.

 

Beijing will host the 2008 Olympic Games while Greece, the host of 2004 Olympic Games and the birthplace of the sports event, has unique characteristics in hosting the contest and developing an Olympic-related economy, he added.

 

"The two countries are mutually complementary in cooperation in tourism and the Olympic Games," Wu said, adding that huge potentials were yet to be tapped into in terms of business opportunities and enhancement of economic cooperation.

 

The top legislator called on related departments and enterprises of the two nations to grasp opportunities and seek more cooperative ways in the fields of tourism and the Olympic Games.

 

Strengthening cooperation between enterprises

 

In addition, Wu called for a fully active relationship between the two countries' enterprises in bilateral trade cooperation.

 

He said enterprises were the mainstay of both market activities and bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

 

"The two countries should take strengthening enterprises' cooperation as a priority in deepening Sino-Greek trade cooperation and encourage competitive and capable enterprises to make investment and economic technological cooperation of all kinds," Wu said.

 

The governments of China and Greece should make concerted efforts to continue to push for better facilitation of bilateral trade and investment, and create more favorable conditions and encourage further backing for mutually beneficial cooperation between the enterprises of the two countries, added the top legislator.

 

More than 600 officials and business people of the two countries attended the forum's opening ceremony.

 

Wu arrived here on Monday for his first four-day official visit to Greece, the third leg of his four-nation tour, which will next take him to Russia. He has already visited Romania and Moldova.

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 24, 2006)