Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing on Sunday hailed President Hu Jintao's Asian tour as a new milestone for fostering friendly relations with neighboring countries, pointing out the remarkable successes achieved during the visit.

 

President Hu's four-nation tour has deepened friendship with these countries, enhanced mutual trust, expanded mutually beneficial cooperation and helped chart the course for the future of bilateral relations, Li told Chinese reporters accompanying Hu on his way back home from the 12-day trip.

 

During the tour, Hu attended the 14th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, before paying state visits to Vietnam, Laos, India and Pakistan.

 

On the sidelines of the APEC meeting and during his state visits, President Hu conducted in-depth and substantive talks with foreign leaders, exchanging views on bilateral ties, on international and regional issues of common concern and expounded on China's policies on Asia-Pacific cooperation, the Chinese top diplomat said.

 

The tour also witnessed the signing of 54 documents on cooperation between China and other countries in various fields and the publication of five joint statements and declarations, the minister said.

 

At APEC's meeting, Hu put forward a blueprint for building a harmonious Asia-Pacific region and realizing common prosperity, Li said.

 

The president stressed APEC should focus on promoting economic cooperation while supporting the development of the multi-bilateral trading system, Li said.

 

In endeavoring to promote economic and technological cooperation, Hu said, APEC should aim to realize the Bogor goals, which were adopted by APEC leaders at their 1994 meeting in Bogor, Indonesia. The goals aim to achieve free trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region by 2010 for industrialized economies and 2020 for developing ones, according to the minister.

 

During the APEC meeting, Hu also reached common ground with leaders of the United States, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Chile on how to further bilateral ties, Li said.

 

On the nuclear issues of the Korean Peninsula and Iran, Hu reiterated China's stance on peacefully resolving the issues through diplomatic means.

 

All the four nations President Hu visited are China's important neighbors, Li said. To consolidate and advance friendly relations with them is crucial to China's efforts to create a good environment, conduct mutually beneficial cooperation and achieve common development. These goals are also of great importance to safeguard and promote peace and development in the whole of Asia as a whole, the minister added.

 

During his visits to these countries, President Hu extolled on his proposals for strategic and long-term development of bilateral relations, gaining acclaim from his hosts and enhancing political trust between China and its neighbors, Li said.

 

Noting economic and trade cooperation as a key component of China's relationships with the four countries, Li said that following high-level discussions, several relevant agreements were signed during his visits.

• China and Vietnam signed a number of cooperation documents during the visit, mapping out the territory of bilateral economic cooperation for the next 5 to 10 years. Both sides agreed to promote cooperation in major projects, expand bilateral trade and collaborate to push forward trade and investment negotiations between China and the ASEAN free trade zone.
• China and Laos pledged to expand bilateral trade and enhance cooperation in the fields of investment, communications, transportation, infrastructure, energy and mining.
• China and India signed a pact on investment promotion and protection, agreeing to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in the areas of information and communication technology, energy, infrastructure, science and technology and agriculture. The two Asian powers also set a target of raising the annual volume of their bilateral trade to US$40 billion by 2010.
• China and Pakistan signed a free trade agreement (FTA) due to triple their current bilateral trade to US$15 billion within five years and to promote bilateral cooperation in agriculture, transportation, energy, finance and information industry.

The Chinese people and those from the four countries are good neighbors, friends and partners, cherishing common aspirations to deepen their friendship, Li said.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 27, 2006)