According to the Foreign
Ministry, Premier Wen
Jiabao will pay official visits to France, Slovakia, the Czech
Republic, Portugal and Malaysia from December 4 to 15. He will also
attend the ninth summit between China and the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the ninth ASEAN plus China, Japan
and the Republic of Korea Summit and the First East Asian Summit in
Kuala Lumpur.
Zhao Jun, director of the Foreign Ministry's European Department
at a briefing on Wen's visit here Wednesday called the visit to the
four European countries "another big event" after President Hu
Jintao's visit to Europe in November.
Latest statistics show that China and France have achieved a
breakthrough in economic and trade cooperation in 2005 with two-way
trade volume valued at US$17.58 billion, up 31.3 percent over the
same time from 2004.?
From January to October this year, value of bilateral trade was
US$16.64 billion, up 17.3 percent over the same time in 2004.
Great successes were also scored in the Chinese culture year in
France and French culture year in China, Zhao said, noting relevant
activities remarkably helped the two peoples to expand mutual
understanding and friendship.
"We are satisfied with the current comprehensive growth of
Sino-French relations", Zhao stressed, adding that Wen will hold
talks with French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, meet with
French President Jacques Chirac and President of the French
national Assembly Jean-Louis Debre, deliver an important speech in
Paris, visit French and European aviation and space companies and
sign a series of important agreements of cooperation.
In response to a reporter's question on Wen's visit to Slovakia,
Zhao recognized that the joint statement signed between China and
Slovakia in 2003 marked a landmark for the growth of bilateral
relations in the new era.
Political mutual trust is further boosted, bilateral economic
and trade cooperation has scored remarkable growth and exchanges in
the fields of science and technology, culture, education, sports
and tourism continue to increase, Zhao said, highlighting that
Wen's visit to Slovakia will be the first by a Chinese leader since
Slovakia gained independence in 1993.
"Wen will exchange views with Slovak leaders on furthering
China-Slovakia friendly and cooperative ties and issues of common
concern, and the two sides will also sign some agreements", Zhao
said.
On China-Czech relations, Zhao said that Czech President Vaclav
Klaus and Czech Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek's respective
successful visits to China last and this year witnessed increased
bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various fields and helped
enhance the scale and level of bilateral cooperation.
China and the Czech Republic will push forward bilateral
relations on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful
Coexistence, Zhao said.
The relations between China and Portugal have developed smoothly
since they forged diplomatic ties in 1979, Zhao said.
"Wen is the first Chinese premier to visit Portugal over the
past 13 years," he said, adding that the high-level contacts would
enhance mutual understanding, trust, and cooperation.
During his stay in Portugal, Wen is expected to hold talks with
Prime Minister Jose Socrates, and meet with President Jorge Sampaio
and Parliament Speaker Jaime Gama, he said.
The two sides would also sign some cooperative documents
covering politics, trade, judiciary, education and public
health.
Wen's visit to Malaysia and his attendance at the ASEAN summits
is an important diplomatic move by Chinese leaders, Cui Tiankai,
director of the ministry's Asian Department, said.
According to Cui, Wen will meet Supreme head of state Sultan
Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail and Prime Minister
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, exchanging views on bilateral cooperation,
the relationship between China and the ASEAN, as well as regional
and international issues of common concern.
2006 is the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the
dialogue between China and ASEAN.
As for the ten plus three summit, Cui said, China will give a
positive appraisal for the achievements of East-Asian cooperation
and advocate building up an East-Asian community and supporting
ASEAN's leading role in the community.
The first East-Asian summit will be attended by the ten ASEAN
members, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Australia and
New Zealand. The participants will exchange views on international
and regional political and economic issues.
(Xinhua News Agency December 1, 2005)