Chinese President Hu Jintao said in Algiers Tuesday evening that China has been a reliable friend to developing countries and is willing to further promote friendly cooperation in various fields with these countries.  

At a banquet hosted by his Algerian counterpart, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Hu said China has effective cooperation with developing countries. The cornerstone of the Chinese foreign policy is to consolidate and accelerate the solidarity and cooperation between China and those nations.

With the advent of the 21st century, the international situation has undergone profound changes, but peace and development remain the central themes of the modern era. Most developing countries, including China and Algeria, basically achieved national independence in the 20th century and are now facing the new historical mission of promoting an all-around economic and social development, Hu said.

Developing nations, whose population accounts for 90 percent of the world population and which constitute 84 percent of United Nations member states, play an important role in international affairs, particularly in the process to build a fair and rational new international political and economic order, the Chinese president said.

He went on to say that world peace depends on stability in developing countries, and its prosperity presupposes the revitalization of developing countries.

Economic globalization is a trend of development in the modern world, presenting not only challenges, but also opportunities for developing nations. It is crucial for those countries to achieve leap-frogging development, which requires them to grasp the opportunity in the wave of economic globalization, and to explore a path of development suitable to their basic national conditions, the Chinese president added.

Hu said safeguarding peace is essential to development, and promoting the democratization of international relations is important to creating a peaceful international environment.

He stressed that countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, should be equal. So should be people with whatever ethnic origin, faith or tradition. Developing countries have the right to choose their own political systems and development modes in accordance with their historical tradition, cultural characteristics and development levels.

The differences and contradictions between nations should be settled through dialogue and cooperation rather than confrontation or coercion. Injustice and unfairness in the present international political and economic order should be corrected as soon as possible, the president said.

Hu noted that developing countries should unite more closely and take effective measures to safeguard their interests in the process of establishing a new international political and economic order. Efforts should be made to promote economic globalization for common prosperity and explore effective ways for South-South cooperation.

Developed countries should take the interests of developing countries into full consideration because they have unshirkable responsibility to narrow the gap between the South and the North. They should provide more market access, promote trade and increase assistance to developing countries.

For his part, Bouteflika said in his welcome speech that Sino-Algerian relations are based on mutual understanding and respect, and Algeria attaches great importance to its partnership with China.

Bouteflika reiterated that the Algerian government will stick to its one-China policy, believing that Hu's visit will further foster bilateral ties.

(Xinhua News Agency February 4, 2004)