China determined to develop ties with Latin America: Li Peng
( 2001-11-10 14:53 ) (8 )

China will stick to its set foreign policy of developing ties with Argentina and other Latin American countries in the new century, Chinese top legislator Li Peng said in Buenos Aires on Friday.

China attaches great importance to developing long-term stable ties with Latin American countries based on equality, mutual benefit and all-round cooperation, said Li in a speech delivered at a welcome reception held in his honor.

Long-term friendship and sincere cooperation between China and Latin America not only conform to the interests of both sides but are also conducive to world peace and help to promote common development, said Li, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China.

Thanks to years of joint efforts, friendly relations between China and Latin America based on equality and mutual trust have been strengthened. On international affairs, the two sides have identical or similar views, have persistently supported and helped each other, and have enhanced their consultations and cooperation, said Li.

Li recalled that Chinese President Jiang Zemin, during his six- nation tour of Latin America in April this year, together with leaders of these countries set the course for developing Sino- Latin American ties in the new century.

Li called for joint efforts to further promote development of bilateral ties between China and Latin America.

Efforts should be made to further promote the exchange of visits and direct dialogue at the top level, and to deepen bilateral political consultations to enhance mutual understanding, mutual trust and mutual support, he said.

Great importance should be attached to the fundamental role of trade and economic cooperation in bilateral relations and efforts be made to consolidate it, he said. Both sides should have a deeper understanding of each other's needs and strive to promote common development based on mutual benefit.

Efforts should also be made to overcome the negative effects brought about by the current global economic slowdown, said Li, adding that both sides should strive for the steady expansion of bilateral trade increasing its proportion in the overall trade of respective countries.

Meanwhile, he urged both sides to boost reciprocal investment and cooperation among businesses and to enhance the role of hi- tech in it.

The National People's Congress of China is willing to strengthen ties with national parliaments in Latin America, and closer contacts between those legislative bodies can play a unique role in promoting the comprehensive development of state-to-state ties, Li said.

Calling for closer cooperation in international affairs, Li said the two sides should conduct dialogue and consultations on such major world issues as safeguarding world peace and stability, promoting the democratization of international relations, conducting international cooperation in anti-terrorism and safeguarding the interests of developing countries faced with globalization.

Calling for extensive contacts and cooperation in the fields of science and technology, culture and education, Li said frequent exchanges between people-to-people amity organizations will lay a solid foundation for the overall development of state-to-state ties.

In the speech, Li expressed the belief that the Sino-Latin American cooperative ties enjoy great vitality and hold out bright prospects for development.

On China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), Li said China, being a responsible state, will observe rules set by the world trade body and fulfill its commitments on the basis of maintaining balance between rights and obligations.

China's accession to the WTO is of great significance for China and the world as a whole as it marks China's full involvement in the world trade system and also a new stage in China's opening-up, said Li.

To go in line with WTO rules, China has modified some and will draw up and improve more foreign-oriented laws and regulations, he said.

China will also push its opening up to a higher level and expand its markets, thus providing wider scope for cooperation among WTO members, including Argentina, and more business opportunities to enterprises in all countries and regions, he added.

Li noted that the world, far from being peaceful, is faced with grave challenges and that the two major issues faced by the whole world + peace and development + remain to be resolved.

There are still various forms of hegemony and power politics, and unequal, unjust international relations of the strong bullying the weak, the rich bullying the poor and the big coercing the small, instead of being eliminated, have taken on new development, he noted.

To achieve lasting world peace and the common development in all countries, joint efforts should be made for the establishment of a just and fair new international political and economic order, he stressed.

Such an order should be based on the five principles of peaceful coexistence, the principles of the UN Charter, and other universally-accepted norms governing international relations, he said.

The world is continuing to move towards multipolarity, which conforms to the goal of establishing a new order in world politics and economy. A multi-polar structure of the world arena will contribute to world peace, stability and democracy, he stressed.

On the issue of economic globalization, Li said such an increasingly intensified trend has not only brought both opportunities and challenges to developing nations, but also placed them in a comparatively disadvantaged position.

China, as the biggest developing country in the world, holds that efforts should be made by developing countries to conform to and steer such a trend towards justice and fairness so as to help speed up the establishment of a new world economic order.

To this end, China calls on developed countries to bear in mind the interests of developing countries, pay attention to their problems, and help them solve the problems of capital shortage, heavy debts, fragile financing, and backwardness in technology.

Li called on all nations in the world to strengthen cooperation for the common economic development.

On the issue of anti-terrorism, Li reaffirmed China's position, saying China strongly condemns the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, and has been consistently opposed to all forms of terrorism and acts of violence no matter when, where and by whom they are committed or at whom they are targeted.

China supports actions to fight terrorism, said Li. However, such actions should be taken with clear targets and be justified by solid evidence and avoid casualties on innocent people.

China insists that anti-terrorism actions should be taken in line with the tenets and principles of the UN Charter and other universally-accepted norms governing international laws and proceed within the framework of the United Nations, said Li.

The root cause of terrorism should be looked into and strikes against terrorism should serve the long-term interests of regional and world peace and development, he added.

Li also expressed China's willingness to cooperate with Argentina and other Latin American countries in the fight against terrorism.