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Wen addresses press conference (full text)
(China Daily)
Updated: 2005-03-15 02:11

Press Trust of India: India and China will see the 55th anniversary of their establishment of a diplomatic relationship next month. How do you see the prospects of this bilateral relationship? Can we be good friends and good neighbours?

Wen: I hope the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India will become a new point of departure for deeper friendship and better co-operation between the two countries. I believe that our relationship has already entered a new developmental stage.

Soon I will pay a visit to India. The focus of my visit will be to achieve agreement on three important issues.

One is to come to grips with the importance of friendship between China and India from a strategic and comprehensive perspective.

Because our combined population is 2.5 billion, more than 40 per cent of the world total, the importance of friendship between China and India is immeasurable for Asian countries as well as for the world.

Second, there is tremendous potential to be tapped into between our two countries. Therefore we should strengthen co-operation and strive for common development. Although trade between our two countries was only about US$13.6 billion last year, there is tremendous potential for further growth.

Third, our two countries should set down principles for solving the historical boundary issues. A fair and reasonable solution that is acceptable to both sides should be found on the basis of equal consultation, mutual understanding and mutual accommodation with respect for history and accommodation of reality.

I wish to ask this reporter to send my message back to the Indian people that China and India are not competitors, we are friends. I wish to conclude by quoting from an ancient Indian scripture, probably written more than 3,000 years ago in Sanskrit, that is in the title of "Upanisad." It is to the effect: "May He protect us both together. May He nourish us both together. May we work conjointly with great energy. May our study be vigorous and effective. May we not hate anyone. Let there be peace, let there be peace, let there be peace."

Handelsblatt, Germany: There has been discussion about the death penalty during the last week. It is said that there has been heated debate within the government about the question of whether the death penalty makes any sense any longer. Is your government really planning to abolish the death penalty? And, if so, when? Possibly before the Olympics?

Wen: China is reforming its judicial system, including taking the right to review death penalty to the Supreme People's Court. However, given our national condition, we will not abolish the death penalty.In over half of the countries in the world, the death penalty still exists. However, what we are doing is to institute an effective system in China to ensure prudence and justice when the death penalty is given.