During a meeting with Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Ivana Dulich Markovich, visiting State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan said on Sunday that China is willing to work together with Serbia to promote the bilateral ties to a new level.

 

Tang told Markovich that China is devoted to the development of bilateral relations and that it respects the path of development taken by the Serbian people as well as the domestic and foreign policies pursued by the Serbian government.

 

China will join efforts with Serbia to promote the bilateral relationship to a new level, Tang stressed.

 

The first step, Tang said, is to maintain high-level visits, promote parliamentary, party, regional and people-to-people exchanges, strengthen mutual understanding and trust, and consolidate the political basis of bilateral ties.

 

The second one is to deepen trade and economic cooperation, raise the standards of cooperation, continue to broaden the fields of cooperation, map out cooperation priorities, expand mutual investment, facilitate a balanced trade, and achieve mutual benefit and a win-win situation.

 

The third one is to strengthen communication and cooperation in culture, education and tourism, expand the social basis of bilateral friendship, Tang said, adding that China decided to make Serbia the destination country for Chinese tourists.

 

The fourth step is to forge a closer consultation in international affairs and safeguard common interests of both countries.

 

Tang said China is satisfied with the sound development of the ties between the two countries.

 

He also expressed China's appreciation for the Serbian government's adherence to the one-China policy.

 

On her part, Markovich mentioned that China is Serbia's reliable friend and its largest trade partner in Asia, adding that the sustained and rapid economic development of China offers a model for Serbia to learn from.

 

It is an important part of the Serbian foreign policy to continue to develop the Serbian-Chinese ties. Serbia will continue to pursue the one-China policy, she noted.

 

On Sunday, Tang and Markovich attended a ceremony for signing the agreement on the Sino-Serbian economic and technological cooperation, and the opening ceremony of the Confucius Institute in Belgrade.

 

Tang, at the invitation of Markovich, arrived in Belgrade on Saturday for a three-day official visit. Serbia is the first stop of Tang's eight-day official visit, which will also bring him to Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovenia, and Croatia.

 

(Xinhua News Agency August 28, 2006)