On the afternoon of August 24, Deputy
Director-General Zhang Qiyue of the Information Department
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a briefing at the
International Press Center and invited Deputy
Director-General Zhang Tuo of the Department of Western
European Affairs and Deputy Director-General Zhou Li of the
Department of Eastern European and Central Asian Affairs to
talk about Premier Zhu Rongji’s upcoming visit to
Ireland, Belgium, Russia and Kazakhstan and attendance at
the Fourth Sino-European Summit Meeting in Brussels and the
Prime Ministers’ Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization in Alma-Ata. About 30 foreign correspondents
based in Beijing and some press officers of foreign missions
were present.
Mr. Zhang first said that Premier
Zhu is to pay a formal visit to Ireland and Belgium at the
invitation of Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern and Belgium
Prime Minister Guy Verhosdat, and attend the Fourth
Sino-European Summit Meeting according to the annual
leaders’ meeting mechanism reached by China and the EU
in 1998. During his visit to Ireland, Premier Zhu will hold
talks with Prime Minister Ahern and meet the Irish President
and speakers of the parliament and business leaders.
Afterwards, Premier Zhu will travel to Brussels to hold the
Fourth Sino-European Summit Meeting with Prime Minister
Verhosdat of the EU chair nation and President Prodi of the
EU Commission. During his visit to Belgium, Zhu will meet
King Albert II and hold working talks with Prime Minister
Verhosdat. Premier Zhu will also attend and host celebration
activities marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment
of diplomatic relations between China and Belgium and attend
the welcoming banquet hosted by Belgian business
leaders.
On the Fourth Sino-European Summit
Meeting, Mr. Zhang said that since the annual meeting
mechanism was established in London in 1998, leaders of the
two sides have held three meetings, all of which are very
successful and satisfactory to both sides. The agenda of the
upcoming meeting will be the new China policy document
issued by the EU in May. The document put forward many
concrete proposals on developing relations with China.
Premier Zhu will make a positive response to these
proposals. Chinese and European leaders will also exchange
views on other issues of bilateral relations and some
regional and international issues. Moreover, Foreign
Minister Tang Jiaxuan, Minister Shi Guangsheng of Moftec and
Minister Xie Zhenghua of the State Administration of
Environmental Protection will hold counterpart talks with
European officials and exchange views on some concrete
issues respectively.
On China-EU relations, Mr.
Zhang said that China attaches great importance to
developing relations of mutual benefit and cooperation and
puts the EU in a very important position in its external
exchanges, mainly due to the following reasons. First, the
EU is the most highly integrated regional political and
economic organization in the world. It has reached
remarkable progress in its internal development and plays a
remarkable and prominent role on the international stage.
Second, the EU is the largest community of developed
countries in the world. It has rich capital, advanced
technologies and a lot of entrepreneurial and management
experiences, high complementary to the Chinese economy.
Third, there is no direct fundamental conflict between China
and the EU. Rather, they share the same or similar views on
many international and regional issues. The changes in the
international situation and the internal development inside
China and the EU both require China and the EU to further
strengthen cooperation, which is mutually
beneficial.
At present, China-European
relations are developing steadily, with smooth progress in
political dialogue and consultation at all levels and ever
expanding economic, trade, scientific and technological and
educational areas. Bilateral trade is particularly
remarkable, with China-Europe trade volume reaching US$ 36.9
billion in the first half of this year. The EU is
China’s third largest trading partner and largest
supplier of advanced technologies and equipment. The new
China policy document issued by the EU Commission in May
will benefit future cooperation between the two sides in all
areas. However, due to differences in history, culture and
value systems between China and Europe, it is normal that
the two sides have some different views on certain issues.
We propose to enhance understanding, seek common ground and
solve differences through dialogue.
While
taking questions from the press on Premier Zhu’s visit
to Ireland, Mr. Zhang said that Ireland is the first leg of
Premier Zhu’s visit. During the visit, Premier Zhu
will fully exchange views with Irish leaders on how to
expand bilateral cooperation in all areas and international
and regional issues of common concern, and meet with the
Irish business community to learn about the successful
experiences Ireland has accumulated in its economic
development. He will also brief them on China’s
economic development. It is hoped that China and Ireland
will seize opportunities and strengthen economic and
technical cooperation. At present, China-Ireland relations
are very good. After Prime Minister Ahern’s visit to
China in 1998, the Irish government made the “Asia
Strategy” and put China as one of the key cooperation
partners. Areas of cooperation between China and Ireland are
ever expanding, particularly in high-tech and education
areas. Two-way trade volume has doubled every year,
exceeding US$ 0.7 billion last year. The Chinese side is
fully confident of China-Ireland mutually beneficial
cooperation. We believe that both sides share a solid
foundation and broad prospects.
As regards
questions on Premier Zhu’s visit to Belgium, Mr. Zhang
said that Zhu’s upcoming visit is the second one after
his visit to Belgium in July last year. Premier Zhu will
take the opportunity of the visit to brief the Belgian side
on China’s current economic development and exchange
views with them on how to expand economic and trade
cooperation. The two sides will discuss other issues of
bilateral relations and regional and international issues of
common concern. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the
establishment of diplomatic relations between China and
Belgium. During the past 30 years, China-Belgium relations
have made remarkable progress. High-level contacts are
frequent. The trade volume has increased from US$ 20 million
in the initial years to US$ 3.6 billion last year, and is
still growing at an annual rate of around 20%. AT the end of
June this year, there are 358 Belgian projects, with actual
investment of US$ 0.42 billion. On scientific and
technological, cultural and educational fronts, bilateral
exchanges and cooperation are equally
fruitful.
Mr. Zhang said that Belgium is one of
the initiators of the EU and its headquarters. It plays a
very important role in European and international affairs.
China attaches importance to developing friendly relations
and cooperation with Belgium. Though there is no plan to
sign governmental economic and trade agreements during the
visit, the Chinese government will provide active support to
any cooperation agreements the business communities of the
two sides wish to seal. It is believed that the Belgian
government will also support any efforts by the two business
communities to strengthen economic and trade
cooperation.
Mr. Zhou Li said that Premier Zhu
will pay a formal visit to Russia and Kazakhstan and hold
the sixth regular meeting with the Russian Prime Minister
and attend the first Prime Ministers’ Meeting of the
Member Countries of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization.
The corresponds present were
interested in Premier Zhu’s visit to Russia and
Kazakhstan and his attendance at the first Prime
Ministers’ Meeting of the Member Countries of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization. As regards their
questions, Mr. Zhou said that during Premier Zhu’s
visit to Russia, the Prime ministers’ meeting will
held in St. Petersburg, not in Moscow as are the customs.
There are a lot of issues on the agenda of the Prime
Ministers’ meeting, including issues of bilateral
relations and international issues of common concern. During
Premier Zhu’s visit to Russia, he will meet President
Putin and Chairman Stroey of Russian Federal Committee,
attend the luncheon held by the Russian business community
and make a speech. State Councilor WuYi, the Chinese
Chairman of the committee of the China-Russia regular prime
ministers’ meeting, will arrive in Russia in advance
and hold talks with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Klebanov
so as to make preparations for Zhu’s visit. Mr Zhou
said that China and Russia will sign a series of documents
during the visit, including economic and trade cooperation
projects. As missile defense is a hot issue in the current
international relations, it might be covered by the Prime
Ministers’meeting.
This is Premier
Zhu’s first formal visit to Kazakstan. The purpose of
the visit is to fully promote the development of
China-Kazakhstan good-neighborly and friendly relations and
cooperation in the new century. During the visit, Premier
Zhu will hold meetings and talks with President Nazarbayev,
Prime Minister Tokayev and house speakers, and fully
exchange views with them on bilateral relations and regional
and international issues of common concern. The talks will
be focused on developing bilateral relations, economic and
trade cooperation in particular. China-Kazakhstan economic
relations and trade have been developing smoothly in recent
years, with steady increase in bilateral trade volume, which
reached US$ 1.5 billion last year, highest in history. At
present, Kazakhstan has become China’s second largest
trading partner in the Commonwealth of Independent States.
The two sides are tapping the potential of bilateral
economic cooperation.
The first Prime
Ministers’ Meeting of the Member Countries of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization is to be held according to
the agreement reached by the six heads of state when the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established. The major
agenda is to profoundly explore how to conduct multi-lateral
economic and trade cooperation among the members of the
Organization. Economic globalization has become the main
trend in the world situation. China, as a developing
country, is ready to offset the negative impact of
globalization through developing regional economic
cooperation. This is also the common need of other members
of the Organization. Facts show that ever since the
establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, its
influence in the world is increasing. Multi-lateral economic
and trade cooperation is a long-term process. We would like
to work for that. Related documents may be issued after the
Prime Minister’s meeting of the member countries.