China will work with the Philippines to continuously push
forward bilateral strategic cooperation, President Hu Jintao said
Tuesday at a meeting with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo.
Hu, who is in New York to attend the UN summit on the 60th
anniversary of its establishment, said bilateral relations have
registered new progress since his visit to the Philippines in April
this year when the two sides agreed to build strategic relations of
cooperation.
Hu cited the 35-percent growth of bilateral trade in the first
half of this year, smooth bilateral cooperation in such areas as
agriculture, fishery, infrastructural construction, mineral
resources and tourism, and bilateral cooperation on major regional
and international issues such as cooperation in East Asia.
Arroyo spoke highly of the joint exploitation of the South China
Sea by the Philippines, China and Vietnam, and suggested the
Philippines and China further strengthen cooperation in such areas
as railways, infrastructure and energy.
Hu said the Chinese side will continue to make joint efforts
with the other two parties to ensure a successful exploitation of
the South China Sea.
He hoped China and the Philippines will cooperate closely in a
railway project in the northern part of the Philippines, the
biggest cooperative project between the two countries so far.
Hu also said the two countries share a great deal of consensus
on UN reform and China will strengthen coordination and cooperation
with the Philippines to push the reform to advance along the right
track.
(Xinhua News Agency September 14, 2005)