During the meeting the Chinese official handed Bashar a message from Chinese President Jiang Zemin. Meanwhile, Assad asked Ji to convey his greetings to Jiang.

Assad reaffirmed Syria's support for the Chinese position on Taiwan issue and voiced desire to enhance bilateral ties and friendly cooperation with China.

On the Middle East situation, the Syrian leader expressed concern over the current tension in the region and urged the international community to exert more efforts to implement the U.N.resolutions 242, 338 and 425.

For his part, Ji expressed satisfaction with the smooth development of bilateral ties and cooperation in the areas of politics, economy and culture since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The Chinese side is keen on developing the friendly ties and cooperation with Syrian in various fields, he said.

On the Middle East question, Ji said that China has always backed the just cause of the Arabs and their legitimate rights. China always supports the settlement of the Middle East issue on the basis of the relevant U.N. resolutions and the land-for-peace principle.

He voiced grave concern about the ongoing violence in the region, adding that China condemned Israel's excessive use of force against Palestinian civilians and hoped that the concerned parties would take immediate steps to defuse the tension.

China also hopes for an early resumption of the peace talks to settle the Palestinian issue, he added.

The Chinese official arrived here Saturday evening on a three-day visit to Syria after Cyprus and Lebanon.

(People's Daily 10/30/2000)