Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang Tuesday hailed the newly
established China-Indonesia strategic partnership, saying that it
will boost "comprehensive cooperation" between the two
countries.?
The strategic partnership was established during President Hu
Jintao's state visit to Indonesia that was concluded Tuesday
afternoon.
Qin said the strategic partnership between China and Indonesia
had "both regional and international significance."
He recalled Hu's talks with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono. He said Hu had suggested that the strategic partnership
be developed by focusing on seven aspects, including more exchange
of high-level visits, improving cooperation on economy, security
and disaster relief, promoting relations between China and the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)?and the
cooperation in East Asia, and improving cooperation among
developing nations.
Qin said Hu's suggestions received positive feedback from
Susilo. During Hu's Indonesia visit, the two countries signed a
series of cooperative agreements.
Qin said President Hu also met with Pakistani President Pervez
Musharraf during the Asia-Africa Summit in Jakarta, and the two
sides exchanged views on political relations, economic cooperation
and trade between the two countries, as well as on the situation in
South Asia.
He said the meeting is "significant" for the promotion of a
strategic and cooperative partnership between the two
countries.
He said China and Pakistan are two developing countries with
"traditional good-neighborly relations," and that the meeting
between Hu and Musharraf will push forward the strategic and
cooperative partnership as well as the cooperation between the two
countries.
Qin said the meeting between President Hu and Indian Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh in Jakarta is another important contact
between the leaders of the two countries, and will play a positive
role in pushing forward bilateral relations.
He said Hu and Singh spoke highly of the recent visit by Premier
Wen
Jiabao to India, and vowed to make joint efforts to push
forward bilateral good-neighborly relations of friendship.
Hu told Singh at the meeting that "China and India should be
good neighbors, good friends and good partners," Qin said.
"China-India relations face precious opportunities of
development, and both countries should seize the good opportunities
and push forward bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation," Qin
quoted Hu as saying.
Qin said Singh agreed to Hu's viewpoint, and said the Indian
government is willing to take the opportunity "to establish a
strategic partnership toward peace and prosperity, implement the
consensus between the two sides and push forward the development of
bilateral ties in an all-round way."
Qin said the recent meeting in Jakarta between President Hu and
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, held during a difficult
time in Sino-Japanese relations, is "significant" and is "valued"
by the two countries. It also drew attention from the international
community, he said.
"The two leaders confirmed the importance of the ties, stressed
that the two sides should seek a general situation of Sino-Japanese
relations and Asia's peace and development, properly handle major
issues, especially the historical and Taiwan issue, so as to push
forward a healthy and stable development of the relations," he
said.
He said Hu put forward five-point proposal on Sino-Japanese
relations, and Koizumi gave a positive response.
"We hope the two sides take the opportunity to take measures to
reduce disputes and overcome difficulties to enable Sino-Japanese
relations back to a track of healthy and stable development," he
said.
Commenting on Japanese government's hope that Premier Wen would
visit Japan during the Aichi Expo 2005, Qin said the Chinese
government attaches importance to high-level exchanges and contact
with Japan, and is willing to create proper conditions for it.
He said Foreign Minister Li
Zhaoxing will attend the Seventh ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting)
Foreign Ministers' Meeting from May 6 to 7 in Kyoto, Japan.
He will also attend the Third Meeting of the Tripartite
Commission of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), as well
as the ASEAN?and China, Japan and the ROK (10+3) Foreign
Ministers' Meeting held in Kyoto.
In another development, Qin said China has extended condolences
to Japan for the deadly train derailment.
Li and Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wang Yi on Monday sent
separate messages to the Japanese side, on behalf of the Chinese
government, expressing condolences to the families of the deceased
and the people who were injured in the accident, Qin said.
A packed commuter train jumped the tracks and hurtled into an
apartment complex in an urban area near Amagasaki of Hyogo
Prefecture, some 400 km west of Tokyo, claiming the lives of at
least?91 people and injuring more than 400 others. The tragedy
was Japan's worst rail disaster in four decades.?
Qin said China welcomes US Assistant Secretary of State
Christopher Hill's visit and is ready to exchange views with him on
the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and China-US relations.
The chief US envoy on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue arrived
in Beijing Tuesday after talks with ROK officials in Seoul to
discuss resuming the six-party talks.
Qin said vice foreign ministers, Dai Bingguo, Yang Jiechi and Wu
Dawei, will meet or hold talks with Hill separately Tuesday
afternoon, without giving details.
"We believe it is helpful for China and the United States to
improve exchange and communication," he said.
Beijing is the second stop of Hill's three-nation trip that will
take him to Japan on Wednesday.
On Monday, Hill held talks with ROK Deputy Foreign Minister Song
Min-soon. He also met with President Roh Moo-hyun and Foreign
Minister Ban Ki-moon.
Three rounds of the six-party talks have been held to try to
resolve the nuclear issue on the Korea Peninsula. The talks have
been stalled since June last year as the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea accused the US of adopting a hostile policy
toward it.
(Xinhua News Agency April 27, 2005)