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Wen's Asia-Pacific tour 'fruitful'

(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-04-10 08:50

Premier Wen Jiabao wound up his four-nation Asia-Pacific tour following an official visit to Cambodia on Saturday, which Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said was "fruitful" and "rich in content".

The eight-day visit also took Wen to Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand. During the visit, Wen attended the inauguration of the China-Pacific islands economic development forum in Fiji. This is the first visit by a Chinese premier to the South Pacific.

A total of 70 bilateral or multilateral diplomatic activities took place and 59 agreements and documents were signed during the tour.

The premier's visit has elevated the level of bilateral relations between China and the four nations, Li told reporters in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, at the end of Wen's visit on Saturday.

"It helps promote the mutually beneficial partnership with Australia and New Zealand in key areas and build a platform for friendship and co-operation with the Asia-Pacific Islands," Li said.

Premier Wen held "pragmatic and constructive" discussions with the leaders of Australia and New Zealand for co-operation in trade, energy and mineral resources. He also agreed to seek common development through equal consultations, Li said.
In addition, uranium-rich Australia agreed to export the resource to China for the peaceful use of nuclear energy during Wen's visit to the country.

China has reached a consensus with Australia to achieve "substantial progress" in the talks of the establishment of the free trade area within one or two years, Li said.

At Wen's last stop, China and Cambodia signed 11 new agreements in areas including health, telecommunications, fighting transnational crimes and preserving Cambodia's famed 800-year-old Angkor Temples, a major overseas destination for Chinese tourists.

China also offered US$600 million in new aid and loans for two new bridges and other projects in Cambodia.
 During their talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in Phnom Penh, Wen and his Cambodian counterpart vowed to establish a comprehensive partnership.

Wen stressed that China supported the integration process of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and backed ASEAN in playing a leading role in the East Asian co-operation process.

Responding to his Chinese guest, Hun Sen said his country is ready to work with China to deepen the co-operation between China and ASEAN.

Wen's Asia-Pacific tour looks to the future of bilateral relations with related countries and is conducive to increasing understanding and support from the international community for China's peaceful development, Li said.