Acting President Namaduk was speaking to Xinhua on Tuesday, at the on-going Bo'ao Forum for Asia -- Tourism Conference that opened on Monday in the scenic city of Guilin in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Namaduk said Nauru and China envisaged a bright future for cooperation in the 21st century, as both countries expected to expand bilateral ties and mutual understanding of their people through overall cooperation.

China was a big country in Asia, while Nauru a small island nation in the Pacific, he noted. China dispatched diplomatic officials to the island nations shortly after forging diplomatic ties earlier this year, which showed its commitment to bilateral ties and complied with its principle of developing a "long-term, stable, earnest friendship with Nauru".

"We are serious in our intent for a lasting relationship, and will be committed to a Nauru-China joint communiqu?," said Namaduk.

"In my personal view, I believe economic, educational and cultural exchanges and cooperation will let the two peoples unfamiliar with each other have a deeper understanding of each other, which is beneficial to bilateral ties," he said.

Namaduk said Nauru will appoint trade representatives in Beijing and Hong Kong "to speed up the process of joining with China".

He also elaborated specific bilateral cooperation, such as Nauru's rich fishery resources which could complement China's fishery infrastructure, and Chinese airlines and tourism industry which could take advantage of great facilities of Nauru's geographical position.

"This conference let me see an avenue we could explore, and a way to let the Chinese people know about our country's resources and our people," Namaduk said.

Nauru and China established their diplomatic ties on July 21 this year.

(People's Daily November 20, 2002)