Chinese vice president puts forward four-point proposal to further China-Romania ties

Visiting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping put forward a four-point proposal to boost China-Romania relations when meeting with Romanian President Traian Basescu here on Monday.

The proposal includes maintaining the consistency of high-level exchanges, promoting economic and trade cooperation, increasing exchanges in the areas of education, science, culture and health, and enhancing coordination and cooperation on the international arena.

Xi said the Chinese government encouraged Chinese enterprises to invest in Romania’s infrastructure and explore cooperation opportunities in tourism and agriculture.

Romania is welcome to establish a cultural center in China and participate in the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, he said.

Romania was the third nation in the world to forge diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China following the Soviet Union and Bulgaria.

China-Romania relations have developed steadily over the past six decades despite drastic changes in the international situation, Xi said.

Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit to Romania in 2004 lifted the bilateral relations to a comprehensive, friendly and cooperative partnership, he emphasized.

“Looking back at the past 60 years, friendship and cooperation have been the mainstream of China-Romania ties all the time,” said Xi.

He said China-Romania relations were able to stand the test of time because the two countries had stuck to the principle of mutual respect, equity and mutual benefit, their leaders viewed and developed the relations from a long-term and strategic perspective, and the deep-rooted friendship between the two peoples constituted a solid foundation for friendly cooperation.

For his part, Basescu said Xi’s visit, which coincided with the60th anniversary of the establishment of Romania-China diplomatic relations, attested the Chinese government and people attaching importance to the development of Romania-China relations.

Under the new circumstances, Romania is ready to enhance relations with China and expand economic and trade cooperation with China, he said, reiterating that Romania’s president would attend the Shanghai World Expo no matter what political changes could occur in Romania by that time.

He reaffirmed that Romania would continue to adhere to the one-China policy and support China’s stance on issues relating to Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang.