Top Chinese legislator Wu Bangguo met in Chisinau Sunday with Moldavian President Vladinir Voronin on promoting cooperation between the two countries.

 

Wu, Chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), arrived here earlier Saturday for a two-day official visit following a trip to Romania.

 

During the meeting, Voronin said that the exchange of high-level visits between the two countries has contributed to promoting bilateral relations to a higher level. He expressed his belief that Wu's ongoing visit will further strengthen relations and promote cooperation between the two countries.

 

Voronin said that developing friendly relations with China is a consensus among the Moldavian government, parliament and political parties, which is conducive to the fundamental interests of the Moldavian people.

 

He said the good political ties between Moldova and China should constitute an impetus to enhancing cooperation in economic and trade fields.

 

The president reiterated that his government sticks to the one-China policy, saying that there is but one China in the world.

 

Wu said that bilateral ties between China and Moldova have developed healthily since the two countries forged diplomatic ties 14 years ago.

 

The visit by then Chinese President Jiang Zemin to Moldova in 2001 and the one by President Voronin to China in 2003 had helped push the Sino-Moldavian ties to new highs, he added.

 

Wu noted that China attaches importance to Sino-Moldavian relations and is willing to work together with Moldova to increase exchanges of top-level visits and to deepen economic and trade cooperation, so as to further develop the bilateral relations on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.

 

At a meeting with Moldavian Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev, Wu said China will seriously carry out the existing cooperation projects with Moldova on the basis of mutual benefit.

 

The bilateral economic and trade cooperation, a material basis for strengthening the Sino-Moldavian relations, has a great potential, Wu said.

 

He said China is willing to work with Moldova to create favorable conditions, tap potentials and help their enterprises take the lead in strengthening bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

 

Wu added that although the scale of the current economic and trade cooperation is not so big, the development trend is promising with the trade volume increasing very quickly.

 

For his part, Tarlev said Moldova highly values the mutual trust, friendship and cooperation with China, and will make concerted efforts with China to vigorously push forward mutually-beneficial economic and social cooperation between the two countries.

 

The foundation for the Moldavian-Chinese ties is very strong and there will be no obstacle in developing the relations between the two countries in the future, he said.

 

Tarlev recalled his visit to China in 2001, saying he was deeply impressed by the great achievements China had made since it adopted the policy of reform and opening to the outside world in its construction and modernization drive.

 

Wu arrived here earlier Saturday for a two-day official good-well visit. Moldova is the second leg of his four-nation tour, which will also take him to Greece and Russia.

 

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 22, 2006)