China continues its policy of expanding common interests with
the world's major countries, and resolving differences in a proper
way, based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.
Sino-US Relations
In 2004, Sino-US relations basically retained stability and
development. In November 2004, Chinese President Hu Jintao held
talks with US President George W. Bush during the 12th APEC
Economic Leaders' Meeting in Chile where they paid tribute to the
constructive and cooperative bilateral relationship and reached a
common understanding of the development of Sino-US relations over
the following four years. The Chinese and US presidents had
frequent telephone contact and established a hotline between their
respective foreign ministries. Between April and October 2004,
there were visits from US Vice President Dick Cheney, US National
Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, President pro tempore Ted
Stevens of the US Senate, and US Secretary of State Colin Powell,
the latter reiterating US adherence to the one-China policy and
opposition to any activities aimed at "Taiwan independence." There
was also breakthrough in military cooperation; US Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff Richard Myers, who visited China in January
2004, was the highest-ranking US military official to visit China
since 1997. The 3rd round of Sino-US consultations on strategic
security, multilateral disarmament and non-proliferation at
vice-foreign ministerial level was also held. Sino-US economic and
trade cooperation continued to develop; the 15th session of the
Sino-US Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade was convened in
Washington in April 2004 and achieved positive results.?
Sino-Russian Relations
Sino-Russian strategic cooperative partnership deepened during
2004. Meetings of heads of state and government leaders resulted in
successful resolution of historical border issues and a long-term
bilateral relations development plan. In June, Chinese President Hu
Jintao met with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the 4th
Summit Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in
Uzbekistan. In November, the two presidents met again at the 12th
APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Chile. In May, Wu Bangguo,
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC, held friendly and
candid talks with Federation Council Chairman Sergei Mironov and
State Duma Chairman Boris Gryzlov of the Russian Federal Assembly.
In September, Premier Wen Jiabao paid a formal visit to Russia and
held the 9th Regular Meeting of Sino-Russian Prime Ministers with
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. In October, the Russian
President paid a state visit to China, conferring in depth with
President Hu Jintao on a wide range of subjects concerning the
deepening of Sino-Russian strategic cooperative partnership, and
major international and regional issues.
Sino-EU Relations
Frequent top-level visits between China and the European Union in
2004 laid a foundation for all-round Sino-EU strategic partnership,
and cooperation in economy and trade, science and technology, and
international affairs saw rapid progress. In January 2004, Chinese
President Hu Jintao made a state visit to France. In February and
April there were successive visits from the Prime Minister Anders
Fogh Rasmussen of Denmark, the Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende
of the Netherlands, the President Vaira Vike-Freiberga of Latvia,
the President Romano Prodi of the EU Commission, and the President
Václav Klaus of the Czech Republic. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's
visit to EU countries, namely, Germany, Belgium, EU headquarters,
Italy, Britain, and Ireland? in May was the first EU visit by
any foreign leader after its historic enlargement. In June,
President Hu Jintao paid state visits to Poland, Hungary, and
Romania. At the end of May and early June, Wu Bangguo, Chairman of
the NPC Standing Committee, visited European countries, including
Bulgaria, Denmark, and Norway. Between September and December,
Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano, Armenian President Robert
Kocharian, Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, and German
Chancellor Gerhard Schr?der visited China in succession. At the
Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in October, Premier Wen Jiabao met with
Swedish Prime Minister G?ran Persson, Polish Prime Minister Marek
Belka, and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, respectively. In
December, at the 7th Sino-EU Summit in the Netherlands, where he
had meetings with EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, the
Netherlands Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende and other important
government figures, the Premier signed the Joint Declaration of the
7th China-EU Summit Meeting and the Joint Declaration on
Non-proliferation and Arms Control. In early 2005, the Portuguese
President Jorge Sampaio and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern each
visited China.
Some positive signs for lifting the EU arms embargo on China
emerged in 2004 and in September, the 6th Informal ASEM Seminar on
Human Rights was held in Suzhou.
Sino-French relations entered a new stage on January 27, 2004, the
40th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic ties, when Chinese
President Hu Jintao and French President Jacques Chirac signed a
joint statement, setting development guidelines for an all-round
strategic partnership between China and France and the key fields
where the two nations would intensify cooperation. In October,
President Chirac paid a state visit and launched the Year of France
in China.
Sino-Japanese Relations
In 2004, China and Japan made progress in economic and trade
cooperation, and in cultural and people-to-people contacts. In
February, the 9th Security Consultation between the Diplomatic and
Defense Authorities of China and Japan was convened in Tokyo, where
the two sides exchanged frank and in-depth views on international
and regional security and on their respective national defense
policies. In April, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi
visited China. During the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Chile
in November, President Hu Jintao met with Japanese Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi and made proposals guiding the healthy and stable
development of bilateral ties, emphasizing the vital importance of
facing up to historical problems, which are impossible to avoid and
can not be avoided, as the only way to transform such burdens into
an impetus for moving forward.