China, a reliable and trustworthy friend of Romania, occupies a
key position in its foreign relations, said Romanian President
Traian Basescu in an interview with Xinhua ahead of his visit to
China on March 27-29.
Basescu said he was looking forward with tremendous interest to
visiting China. He said, "The current visit is aimed at
consolidating the political ties between the two countries, and
further boosting bilateral trade."
China has always been the most important political and economic
partner of Romania, he said. The two nations have consistently
supported each other on important international issues, and they
have helped each other in times of hardship, he said.
Honesty and sincerity dominate the political relations between
Romania and China, he added.
On bilateral trade, Basescu said China and Romania both had huge
potential for further economic growth. "We have a lot more to do in
terms of economic development," he said.
He restated his country's adherence to the one-China policy,
saying that the Taiwan issue is China's internal affair, and the
Taiwan authority's decision to "cease the functioning" of the
"National Unification Council" is a political error that will
threaten security in the region.
Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian declared on February 27 that the
"National Unification Council" would "cease to function" and that
the "National Unification Guidelines" would "cease to apply,"
prompting international criticism.
(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2006)