Vice Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing on the Success of Vice President Hu Jintao's Tour to Five European Countries
2001-11-13 13:53
On November 12, Vice Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing who accompanied Vice President Hu Jintao on his official visits to the UK, France, Spain, Germany and working visit to Russia briefed the accompanying Chinese journalists on the success of Vice President Hu's European tour.
Li said that Vice President Hu's visits were of great significance as they were held against the backdrop that international situations have undergone profound changes and that China's international status has been increasingly enhanced. The five countries attached great importance to this visit and gave Hu a warm, friendly and high-level reception. The visit achieved the purpose of promoting extensive exchanges, enhancing understanding, expanding common ground, and increasing cooperation and was a great success.
Li said Hu's European tour achieved substantive results, which are as follows:
I. It further promoted the development of China's partnership with the five countries. Following the September 11 Incident, President Jiang Zemin instantly expounded the position of the Chinese government on important issues such as the international struggle against terrorism, which raised high attention and great response in the international community. During the visit, Hu stressed China's willingness to strengthen political dialogue and consultation at all levels with all these countries under new circumstances, exchanged views with the leaders of the five countries on anti-terrorism, Afghanistan, the Middle East and other current major international issues, and reached important consensus. The five countries spoke highly of China's explicit position on anti-terrorism issue, attached importance to China's indispensable role in the international struggle against terrorism and in maintaining regional and international stability, stressed that China is an important partner of theirs, and expressed the hope to strengthen consultation and coordination with China in international affairs. On the same day Hu arrived in Moscow, the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress approved and adopted the Sino-Russian Treaty of Good-Neighborly and Friendly Cooperation. Hu and Russian leaders spoke highly of the treaty signed by the heads of state of the two countries in July, agreed to take concrete measures to implement the principle and spirit of the treaty. It can be said that the visit has enhanced the mutual understanding and trust between China and the five countries, and consolidated and strengthened China's political ties with them.
II. It promoted China's economic and trade relations with the five European countries. During the visit, Hu fully introduced China's economic situation and development outlook. He pointed out that China's economic and social development will enter an important stage in 5 to 10 years from now on. With the implementation of the 10th Five-Year Plan and the strategy of the development of China's West, and with China's accession to the WTO, China's reform and opening up will enter a new stage. Hu expressed the hope that the business community in Europe will take the opportunity to expand economic cooperation and trade with China. The business community in the five countries expressed great interest in participating in China's modernization drive and enhanced their confidence in and commitment to cooperation with China. Many businessmen said that they would expand investment in China, and will participate more actively in the development of China's West. Moreover, the five countries expressed their willingness to further expand exchanges and cooperation with China in scientific, technological, cultural, and education fields.
III. It promoted the five European countries' understanding of China and enhanced the friendship between the people of China and the people of the five countries through extensive contacts. Aside from holding separate meetings with the heads of state and government of the five countries, Hu also met with parliamentary leaders, major party leaders and local government officials. He also extensively contacted people from industrial and commercial, financial, scientific and technological, cultural and educational circles, introduced the spirit of President Jiang Zemin's July 1st speech, the important thought of the "Three Represent's" and China's policy on reform and opening up. Hu held talks with the business community and delivered speeches respectively in the UK, France, Spain and Germany, and visited some representative industrial and agricultural projects. He issued a speech titled China and the World in the 21st Century at the French International Relations Institute, took questions from the audience spontaneously, and had several interviews with the press. His activities enhanced the understanding that the people from all walks of life have of China, and played the role of expanding influence, enhancing trust, deepening cooperation and promoting friendship.
Li Zhaoxing said finally that Hu's European tour is rich in content and fruitful in result. The four Western European countries are all economically developed and are playing important roles in the EU. Russia, the UK and France are permanent members of the UN Security Council. During the visit, we deeply felt that under current situations, European countries have a strong desire to strengthen political ties and economic and trade cooperation with China. The common interests and the same or similar views shared by China and European countries have been enhanced. There are great potential and broad prospects in China-Europe all-round cooperation. Hu's successful visit forcefully promoted the development of relations between China and the five countries and between China and the EU, created a more favorable international environment for China to implement an independent foreign policy of peace, promote the multi-polarization process in the world, maintain world peace and stability, and continue China's reform and opening up and its modernization drive, which is of great significance.
Li said that Vice President Hu's visits were of great significance as they were held against the backdrop that international situations have undergone profound changes and that China's international status has been increasingly enhanced. The five countries attached great importance to this visit and gave Hu a warm, friendly and high-level reception. The visit achieved the purpose of promoting extensive exchanges, enhancing understanding, expanding common ground, and increasing cooperation and was a great success.
Li said Hu's European tour achieved substantive results, which are as follows:
I. It further promoted the development of China's partnership with the five countries. Following the September 11 Incident, President Jiang Zemin instantly expounded the position of the Chinese government on important issues such as the international struggle against terrorism, which raised high attention and great response in the international community. During the visit, Hu stressed China's willingness to strengthen political dialogue and consultation at all levels with all these countries under new circumstances, exchanged views with the leaders of the five countries on anti-terrorism, Afghanistan, the Middle East and other current major international issues, and reached important consensus. The five countries spoke highly of China's explicit position on anti-terrorism issue, attached importance to China's indispensable role in the international struggle against terrorism and in maintaining regional and international stability, stressed that China is an important partner of theirs, and expressed the hope to strengthen consultation and coordination with China in international affairs. On the same day Hu arrived in Moscow, the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress approved and adopted the Sino-Russian Treaty of Good-Neighborly and Friendly Cooperation. Hu and Russian leaders spoke highly of the treaty signed by the heads of state of the two countries in July, agreed to take concrete measures to implement the principle and spirit of the treaty. It can be said that the visit has enhanced the mutual understanding and trust between China and the five countries, and consolidated and strengthened China's political ties with them.
II. It promoted China's economic and trade relations with the five European countries. During the visit, Hu fully introduced China's economic situation and development outlook. He pointed out that China's economic and social development will enter an important stage in 5 to 10 years from now on. With the implementation of the 10th Five-Year Plan and the strategy of the development of China's West, and with China's accession to the WTO, China's reform and opening up will enter a new stage. Hu expressed the hope that the business community in Europe will take the opportunity to expand economic cooperation and trade with China. The business community in the five countries expressed great interest in participating in China's modernization drive and enhanced their confidence in and commitment to cooperation with China. Many businessmen said that they would expand investment in China, and will participate more actively in the development of China's West. Moreover, the five countries expressed their willingness to further expand exchanges and cooperation with China in scientific, technological, cultural, and education fields.
III. It promoted the five European countries' understanding of China and enhanced the friendship between the people of China and the people of the five countries through extensive contacts. Aside from holding separate meetings with the heads of state and government of the five countries, Hu also met with parliamentary leaders, major party leaders and local government officials. He also extensively contacted people from industrial and commercial, financial, scientific and technological, cultural and educational circles, introduced the spirit of President Jiang Zemin's July 1st speech, the important thought of the "Three Represent's" and China's policy on reform and opening up. Hu held talks with the business community and delivered speeches respectively in the UK, France, Spain and Germany, and visited some representative industrial and agricultural projects. He issued a speech titled China and the World in the 21st Century at the French International Relations Institute, took questions from the audience spontaneously, and had several interviews with the press. His activities enhanced the understanding that the people from all walks of life have of China, and played the role of expanding influence, enhancing trust, deepening cooperation and promoting friendship.
Li Zhaoxing said finally that Hu's European tour is rich in content and fruitful in result. The four Western European countries are all economically developed and are playing important roles in the EU. Russia, the UK and France are permanent members of the UN Security Council. During the visit, we deeply felt that under current situations, European countries have a strong desire to strengthen political ties and economic and trade cooperation with China. The common interests and the same or similar views shared by China and European countries have been enhanced. There are great potential and broad prospects in China-Europe all-round cooperation. Hu's successful visit forcefully promoted the development of relations between China and the five countries and between China and the EU, created a more favorable international environment for China to implement an independent foreign policy of peace, promote the multi-polarization process in the world, maintain world peace and stability, and continue China's reform and opening up and its modernization drive, which is of great significance.