President Jiang Zemin said Friday in Beijing that China is ready to
work with Russia to further their strategic partnership of
cooperation.
Jiang, also chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the
remarks when he met with visiting Russian Defense Minister Sergei
Ivanov. It is Ivanov's first China visit since becoming Russian
defense minister.
Premier Zhu Rongji also held talks with Ivanov Friday.
Jiang said that China and Russia are countries with great influence
in the world arena, as well as being good neighbors, and the
establishment of the Sino-Russian strategic partnership of
cooperation is the wise choice of the leaders of the two
countries.
He
said that this partnership has developed smoothly, indicating that
the exchanges of high-level visits between the two countries have
been frequent, and that political trust has been promoted.
Moreover, the two countries have conducted substantial cooperation
in all fields, and cooperated fruitfully in dealing with
international affairs, he added.
Jiang said that Sino-Russian relations have achieved a positive
development momentum, and that the Sino-Russian good-neighborly
treaty of friendship and cooperation signed last year has become a
guiding document for the development of Sino-Russian relations in
the new century.
The treaty has also given the ideal of long-term friendship and
never taking each other as enemies a legal framework.
Ivanov said that Russia-China state and military relations have
developed rapidly in recent years, and contacts between the defense
ministries of the two countries have been increasing.
He
said that Russia values its relations with China, and hopes to
further its cooperation with the Chinese armed forces.
"The development of military relations between Russia and China not
only benefits both nations, but also helps promote regional and
world peace and stability," said Ivanov.
He
also said that the Russian Government is looking forward to Jiang's
attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in St.
Petersburg, Russia, next month.
(China
Daily June 1, 2002)