China and Kyrgyzstan resolved their knotty border issue on
Tuesday when visiting Premier Wen
Jiabao and Nikolai Tanayev, prime minister of the Kyrgyz
Republic, signed a protocol on the demarcation of the
1,100-kilometer national boundary after their talks.
The two prime ministers also signed a compendium on bilateral
cooperation between 2004 and 2014, setting priorities and outlining
more than 100 projects in 18 different areas for the coming decade.
Both parties will develop specific implementation measures.
Wen proposed that the two countries increase the number of
technology projects and improve the trade structure to promote
prosperity in the border areas. In particular, he said, both should
work more closely in the realms of trade, communication, ports and
tourism
Tanayev said that Kyrgyzstan will work with China and hopes to
strengthen cooperation in infrastructure construction, energy,
investment, border trade, security, culture and education.
The two nations have also signed an agreement to fight terrorism
and separatism.
During his three-day stay in Bishkek, which began on Tuesday,
Wen will also attend the third meeting of prime ministers from the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states.
The meeting is scheduled for Thursday.
The SCO is an intergovernmental organization founded in Shanghai
in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan, representing about a quarter of the world's
population.
Member states work together to halt all forms of terrorism,
separatism, extremism and other cross-border crimes.
The organization also encourages its members to cooperate in
other areas of mutual interest, such as politics, trade, economy,
defense, environment, science and technology, education, energy,
transportation, and finance.
Premier Wen's five-day tour will also take him to Moscow to
attend the ninth annual regular meeting between Chinese and Russian
prime ministers on Friday.
During the meeting,
China and Russia will discuss Russia's accession to the World
Trade Organization.
Before leaving Beijing, Premier Wen told the Interfax News
Agency that China supports Russia's entry because the two nations
are strategic cooperative partners and that Russia's WTO accession
will benefit both.
"After Russia's entry into the WTO, China-Russia economic and trade
relations will gain new strength of growth within the framework of
the WTO," Interfax quoted him as saying.
During the past five years, China-Russia trade has been growing
at an average rate of 20 percent annually. Two-way trade reached
US$15.7 billion last year and is expected to top US$20 billion this
year, one year ahead of the target set by leaders of the two
countries.
Also during his interview with Interfax, Wen also conveyed his
condolences to the victims of the recent terrorist activities in
Russia. He said that the Chinese government and people are ready to
assist the Russian government and people.
Said Wen, "We believe that under the leadership of President
Vladimir Putin and the Russian government, the Russian people will
overcome the current difficulties, maintain national stability and
security and achieve further progress in economic and social
development."
(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency, China.org.cn
September 22, 2004)