Chinese top political advisor foresees new era in China-Romania relations

BUCHAREST, May 5 (Xinhua) -- China and Romania share the task of opening up a new era in their all-around partnership of friendship and cooperation, China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin said here Monday.

Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top political consultative body, made the statement when delivering a speech at a session of the Romanian Senate Monday evening.

In his speech, Jia explained China's policy and concept of peaceful development and mutually beneficial, win-win cooperation. He emphasized his country's willingness to further deepen the friendship with Romania and advance relations with central and eastern Europe.

Jia was warmly welcomed by Romanian senators as he entered the meeting hall at the Parliament Palace together with Nicolae Vacaroiu, president of the Romanian Senate.

China and Romania enjoy a long-standing friendship, Romania having been one of the first countries to recognize the People's Republic of China.

Since the two countries established diplomatic relations nearly60 years ago, bilateral relations have grown smoothly despite major changes in the international situation and conditions in both countries. The two nations have always supported each other on international affairs and domestic development.

Over the past few years, there have been frequent high-level visits exchanged by China and Romania. Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Romania in 2004, when the two countries lifted their relations to an all-around partnership of friendship and cooperation.

"The true friendship and deep passion that the Romanian people cherish toward the Chinese people will always remain on the historical record of bilateral relations," Jia said at the Senate.

In his speech, titled "Continuing the Past, Opening Up the Future and Jointly Creating a Better Tomorrow of Friendship and Cooperation," Jia said the two peoples have become firm friends and that China-Romania relations have become an example for the international community.

Jia's first of four proposals on further advancing bilateral links included enhancing political trust, continuing to respect and treat each other as equals, never interfering in each other's internal affairs and paying attention to each other's concerns.

China and Romania should maintain high-level contact and carry out even closer exchanges and cooperation between their governments, legislatures and political parties so as to lay a solid political foundation for sustained development of bilateral links, he said.

Secondly, Jia said that the two countries should expand trade and economic cooperation according to the principle of mutual complementarity, equality and mutual benefits.

Thirdly, he said the two countries should deepen cultural and humanitarian exchanges.

And fourthly, the two countries should step up coordination and cooperation on international issues, joining hands to build a fair, unbiased and rule-based multi-lateral system with the United Nations assuming the core role.

The CPPCC chairman arrived in Bucharest Sunday for a four-day official goodwill visit to Romania on the first leg of his four-nation Europe tour, which will also take him to Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia.