Extracts.
Sunday, November 12, 2000, updated at 21:48(GMT+8)
Documents on Sino-Lao Cooperation Signed
Six important documents, including a joint
declaration on the bilateral cooperation between
China and Laos were signed Sunday evening in the
Presidential Palace in Vientiane.
Visiting Chinese President Jiang Zemin and his
entourage on the Chinese side, and Lao President
Khamtay Siphandone and other high- ranking officials
on the Lao side, attended the signing ceremony.
Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen and Lao Deputy-Prime
Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Somsavat
Lengsavad inked the joint declaration on behalf of
their governments.
Five other documents, including those on economic,
technical and trade cooperation, on the building of a
hospital in Lao Luang Prabang province, on mining and
agricultural production cooperation were also singed
by responsible members of the related departments of
the two governments.
After the signing of documents, a traditional Lao
"thread-tying " ceremony was staged for the Chinese
President and other Chinese guests. Putting their
palms together, people present at the ceremony held
high a connecting white thread as a way to wish
happiness to the Chinese and Lao Presidents and their
wives, and among themselves.
Also in the afternoon, Jiang and his entourage laid a
wreath to the Monument to the Unknown Soldiers in the
north of the city, met with members of the Chinese
embassy, and representatives of the overseas Chinese,
China-funded businesses, teachers and students here.
In the evening, President Khamtay gave a banquet to
honor President Jiang, during which, Lao artists
entertained the guests with excellent performances.
Laos is the first leg of Jiang's three-nation Asian
tour of Laos, Cambodia and Brunei, where he will
attend the 8th Asian- Pacific Economic Cooperation
Leaders' Informal Meeting.
****
Sunday, November 12, 2000, updated at 22:05(GMT+8)
Jiang, Khamtay Reach Complete Consensus in Talks
President Jiang Zemin Sunday held talks
with Lao President Khamtay Siphandone on
November 12 in Vientiane, during which
the two heads of state reached complete
consensus on all issues they discussed.
Khamtay said that Jiang's tour, the
first paid by a Chinese head of state,
is "a visit of historical significance."
Only less than two months before the advent of a new
century, he said that the visit was paid to further
the Lao-Chinese relations and cooperation. "It was
very important to consolidate the friendly
cooperation between our two countries in the new
century," he said.
Khamtay also said the visit gave "tremendous support"
to the efforts made by Laos to defend and build its
country and push forward renovation and opening-up.
Jiang, in return, said that the frequent contacts
between Chinese and Lao leaders are important for the
growth of bilateral ties.
Jiang believed the visit will be fruitful and provide
guidance to the development of bilateral ties in the
new century.
"China and Laos share quite a number of similarities.
We two are neighboring countries, and also developing
countries," he said.
More, with both adhering to the socialist road, both
had to face the trial of choosing a right way before
entering the new century.
The two presidents reviewed the development and
historical experience of socialism in their talks.
Jiang pointed out that socialism has evolved from
utopian to scientific, from a social practice adopted
only by a single country to a number of countries
worldwide, from revolution to construction, opening
up a new road for the social progress of humanity and
greatly changing the world.
"The development of socialism is not plain sailing,"
he said. Communists worldwide are rethinking and
re-understanding the concept of socialism and how to
build socialism while exploring ways to develop
socialism tailing to different national conditions,
he said.
Jiang said that the historical changes taken place in
China after the reform and opening-up is the result
of combining scientific socialism theory with China's
reality and can be considered as the successful
implementation of socialism in the East.
"It demonstrates that socialism represents the
progress of history and is a cause with hope and
vitality," he said.
On Sino-Lao ties, Jiang expressed his satisfaction.
"The characteristics of our ties can be summed up as
mutual trust, mutual support, equal treatment,
non-interference of the other's affairs, and sincere
cooperation," Jiang said.
He also extended gratitude for Laos' long-term
adherence to the One-China policy and support to
China's reunification cause.
Jiang told Khamtay that the Communist Party of China
and the Chinese government attached importance to the
consolidation of ties with Laos for the full-round
cooperation between the two neighboring countries.
Such relationship is in the interests of the two
peoples and conducive to peace and development in the
region, he noted.
China and Laos signed a joint declaration today.
Jiang said such a document set forth the future
development course in the new century. "That is to
develop our long-term, stable, good-neighborly,
friendly and mutually trust relationship," Jiang
said.
According to the Chinese president, China is willing
to keep frequent contacts with the Lao side at all
levels, for the contacts "form the basis of our
state-to-state ties."
He welcomed President Khamtay and other Lao leaders
to visit China more often. "China is ready to
communicate with Lao friends on various regional and
multi-lateral occasions," he said.
China will also strengthen the mutually beneficial
cooperation with Laos in economic and trade areas,
which still leave great potentials to tap, he said.
He told his Lao counterpart that the two countries
can further the cooperation in such areas as trade,
investment and agriculture, personnel training of
various departments, as well as the cooperation and
coordination in the East Asian region and other world
affairs.
After extending gratitude for Jiang's introduction,
Khamtay said that the Chinese theory of building
socialism with Chinese characteristics and its
experience gained in construction "are also conducive
to Laos."
The direction set forth by Jiang on developing
bilateral ties and his concrete ideas fully
demonstrated the mutual understanding, traditional
friendship and solidarity between the two countries
and the two peoples, he said.
The Lao president reiterated that Laos will firmly
adhere to the One-China policy and said China's
principle of "peaceful reunification and one country,
two systems" is correct and suitable to China's
national conditions. He believed that China's
reunification will be eventually achieved.
Khamtay also expressed satisfaction with the in-depth
and fruitful development of the Lao-Chinese
relationship and extended gratitude for China's
support and assistance to Laos in various fields at
different periods.
"Laos is willing to further strengthen the
comprehensive, long-term, mutually-beneficial and
fruitful cooperation with China," he said.
Khamtay briefed Jiang on the Lao renovation and
opening-up drive and the future social and economic
development program. Jiang highly praised the changes
taken place in Laos after its renovation and
opening-up campaign.
New achievements were made after the Sixth Congress
of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, Jiang said.
Laos has successfully mitigated the Asian financial
crisis while maintaining its national and social
stability and its agricultural production has shown
signs of positive rebound, he said.
The two heads of state also exchanged views on
current international situation.
****
Vice-Premier Wu Bangguo Leaves Beijing for Visit to Three Arab Countries
Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Bangguo left Beijing Sunday on a formal visit to
the Sudan, Egypt and Kuwait.
Wu's entourage includes leading officials from the Enterprise Work
Committee of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the
Foreign Ministry, the State Development Planning Commission, the State
Economic and Trade Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic
Cooperation and the Import and Export Bank of China.
China to Accelerate Afforestation Drive China will quicken its
afforestation drive in a move to improve the deteriorating eco-environment
across the country, said a senior expert in Shanghai Tuesday.
At the ongoing 2000 Shanghai Forum of Science and Technology, Prof. Jiang
Zehui, president of the Chinese Academy of Forestry, expressed her
admiration of the achievements in afforestation and eco-environmental
construction in the past decade, which has been oriented towards
constructing city forests, planting trees along rivers, lakes, railways and
highways, as well as anti- desertification in the western part of the
country.
However, Prof. Jiang pointed out that the deterioration of the
eco-environment in China, as a whole, has not been under complete control,
the construction has lagged far behind the destruction of the
eco-environment and currently China has one of the most fragile
eco-environment's in the world.
Statistics show that soil-eroded areas have expanded to 1.79 million sq. km
and desertified areas have reached 2.62 million sq. km and continue to
expand by 2,400 sq. km annually. In addition, 15-20 percent of plant
species is on the verge of extinction.
According to Jiang, eco-environmental protection has become a vital factor
that affects the sustainable development of the national economy and other
social undertakings.
As for the long-term objective of China's efforts, Prof. Jiang held that it
should include the establishment of a high-quality and efficient system in
afforestation, forestry management, forestry safety assurance and
eco-environmental supervision.
Professor Jiang concluded her presentation by pointing out that
afforestation in cities should stress the ecological benefits rather than
to solely contribute to scenery-development.
At present, forest coverage in China stands at 16.5 percent, lagging far
behind countries with dense natural forest. In terms of man-made forests,
China ranks first in the world, with a combined area of 45 million
hectares.
****
Sunday, November 12, 2000, updated at 18:56(GMT+8)
Peaceful Reunification of China Association of New
Zealand Established
The Peaceful Unification of China Association of New
Zealand was established Sunday in Auckland, the
biggest and most populous city of New Zealand.
Addressing the inaugural gathering, Larry Fong, who
have been elected president of the association, noted
that the objects of the association are to adhere to
and promote the one China policy, to object to and
discourage Taiwan's independence and separation from
China and to promote and accelerate the peaceful
reunification of China.
He pledged the association would organize various
kinds of activities to enhance Chinese culture
overseas, to promote understanding and support from
the New Zealand government and people towards the
cause of China's peaceful reunification, and unite
Chinese, overseas Chinese and friends from other
countries for promoting China's peaceful
reunification.
Larry Fong urged Taiwan leaders to comply with the
popular will and return back to one China position in
order to open negotiations between the two sides of
the straits as soon as possible.
Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Chen Wenzhao
specially went up to Auckland from Wellington and
made a speech at the gathering.
The establishment of the Peaceful Reunification of
China Association of New Zealand is a big event of
the overseas Chinese in New Zealand, Chen noted.
The realization of the entire reunification of China,
he said, is the common desire of all Chinese,
including overseas Chinese as well as compatriots of
Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.
"A unified China will be in the interests of the
Chinese people across the straits and conducive to
peace and development in Asia-Pacific region and in
the world at large," the ambassador said.
At the gathering, which was attended by about 300
people, messages from China's departments in charge
of Taiwan and overseas Chinese affairs were read out,
extending warm greetings to the establishment of the
association.
Chinese Consul General in Auckland Zhao Xiangling
attended the gathering.
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