?Foreign Minister Li
Zhaoxing said on Thursday that President Hu
Jintao's state visits to three Southeast Asian nations helped
deepen friendship, promote cooperation and strengthen unity,
From April 20-28, Hu visited Brunei, Indonesia and the
Philippines, attending the 2005 Asian-African Summit and the Golden
Jubilee of the Bandung Conference whilst in Indonesia.?
Li, who accompanied Hu on the tour, told reporters that the trip
consolidated traditional friendships and strengthened
relations.
Hu met Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, Indonesian
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Philippine President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo, signing many joint statements and agreements.
With all of them, Hu stressed that China would like to
strengthen good-neighborliness with ASEAN countries to achieve
common development and prosperity and promote coordination over
regional and international issues.
Hu also said that China supports the integration of ASEAN and
supports ASEAN's efforts to play a leading role in the cooperative
process of East Asia.
As to the South China Sea issue, Hu said China is willing to
shelve disputes and engage in joint development to transform the
South China Sea into waters of friendship and cooperation.
At the Asian-African Summit, Hu also set forth China's stance on
a New Asian-African Strategic Partnership, saying nations of the
two continents can be partners in four aspects: to politically
respect each other and support each other; to economically create a
win-win situation by pooling each other's strengths; to culturally
learn from each other; and to cooperate in security on the basis of
equality and mutual trust.
He said developing countries should enhance coordination in
international economic affairs and promote South-North dialogue and
cooperation so as to deal with the challenges of globalization.
(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2005)