China and the Philippines, on the occasion of an official goodwill visit to the Philippines by China's top legislator Wu Bangguo, issued in Manila Sunday a joint communique on relations between the two countries and a broad range of international issues of common concern.

On bilateral relations, the communique says that leaders of the two countries expressed satisfaction with the sound and smooth development of relations between China and the Philippines.

They agreed that the strengthening of the traditional friendship between the two sides and the development of a stable and lasting relationship of good-neighborliness, mutual trust and friendly cooperation not only serve the fundamental interests of the two countries, but also conduce to regional peace, stability and development, the communique says.

The Philippine side reiterates its continued adherence to the one China policy, recognizing that there is only one China in the world and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, the communique says, "Neither the Philippine Government nor its Congress will enter into any official contacts with Taiwan in whatever form."

Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) of China, arrived here Saturday for a four-day visit and to attend the Fourth General Assembly of the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace (AAPP).

During the visit, Wu met with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and held talks with Jose de Venecia, Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives, and Franklin M. Drilon, President of the Philippine Senate.

Wu and de Venecia shared the view that China and the Philippines have contributed to regional stability through good communication and coordination on the question of South China Sea, the communique says, "They welcomed the signing of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea among China, the Philippines and other ASEAN countries and expressed their readiness to press ahead with the follow-up actions for continued progress."

It says leaders of the two countries gave a positive assessment on the sound growth of trade and economic relations between China and the Philippines.

Wu indicated that the Chinese Government would promote the growth of tourism and other bilateral personnel exchanges while the Philippine side expressed gratitude to the Chinese Government for its continued consideration of the welfare of the 250,000 Philippine contract workers in the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions of China, according to the communique. It says the Philippine leaders expressed appreciation for China's assistance in infrastructure projects, including railway construction.

On international issues of common concern, the communique says leaders of the two countries pledged continued support of the two countries for international anti-terrorism endeavor.

The two sides expressed their readiness to actively explore ways of anti-terrorism cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) grouping China, Russia and such Central Asian countries as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, according to the communique.

It says the Philippine leaders showed appreciation for the unremitting efforts made by the Chinese Government for a peaceful settlement of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) nuclear issue.

"The Philippine leaders highly appreciated China's active efforts towards the establishment of a China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, which will contribute to greater regional integration," the communique says, "The two sides agreed that the establishment of such a free trade area embodies the strong will of the Chinese and ASEAN leaders to strengthen the friendly cooperation of good-neighborliness and mutual trust between the two sides, and will surely exert positive influence on regional peace and development."
 
(Xinhua News Agency September 1, 2003)