Chinese President Hu Jintao put forward a three-point proposal to further the relationship between China and Madagascar in talks with visiting Madagascar President Marc Ravalomanana in Beijing Thursday.  

The proposal includes enhancing the political relations, deepening the cooperation of mutual benefit, and expanding the cooperation in the fields of education, culture, public health and the development of human resources.

Hu said that China will maintain high-level contact with Madagascar and enhance consultations, coordination and cooperation in the international affairs between the two countries' government departments.

He said China encourages its enterprises to make investments in Madagascar and will continue to offer help as it could to Madagascar.

Hu said that China and Madagascar have enjoyed long-term friendship as the bilateral relations have developed steadily and the cooperation in all fields fruitful since the establishment of the diplomatic relationship between the two countries.

Hu expressed his appreciation of Ravalomanana's adherence to one-China policy and attaching great importance to the development of relations with China in his presidency.

Hu said that China has long valued the relations with the African countries, and will, through the mechanism of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, build up a long-term, stable, and cooperative partnership of mutual benefit with these countries in accordance with the principles of mutual benefit and common progress.

Ravalomanana expressed gratitude for Chinese people's generous assistance and support to Madagascar for years, saying that he had come here to learn China's experience on reform and economic development, push forward the bilateral friendly relationship and expand the cooperation in the fields including infrastructure construction and natural and human resources development.

He reaffirmed that Madagascar would firmly adhere to one-China policy and support China's peaceful reunification cause.

After talks, the two presidents attended a signing ceremony of an agreement between China and Madagascar on economic and technological cooperation.

(Xinhua News Agency May 14, 2004)