China will continue to develop its friendly cooperative
relations with Myanmar based on the five principles of peaceful
coexistence, including non-interference in each other's internal
affairs, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Tuesday.
China hopes Myanmar to achieve political stability, economic
development and national reconciliation, said Wen while meeting
Myanmar's Prime Minister Soe Win, who attended the commemorative
summit marking the 15th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue
partnership.
The five principles -- mutual respect for sovereignty and
territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in
each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and
peaceful existence -- were advocated in a joint declaration when
late Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai visited Myanmar in June 1954.
The government of Myanmar is committed to political stability,
national reconciliation and economic development in the country,
said Soe Win.
Since the government adopted a policy of national reconciliation
in 1989, 17 anti-government armed groups in Myanmar have made peace
with the government, returning to the legal fold under respective
ceasefire agreements.
Soe Win recalled the two countries' friendly ties in history,
saying that China-Myanmar relations had kept moving forward in
recent years.
He thanked China's support and assistance to Myanmar's economic
development, and welcomed Chinese enterprises to continuously
participate in Myanmar's infrastructure construction.
China has attached great importance to the cooperation with
Myanmar in fighting drug trafficking. The two sides should
strengthen this cooperation within both bilateral and multilateral
frameworks, Wen said.
Soe Win said Myanmar was fully prepared to work with China to
combat drug trafficking and other cross-border crimes.
(Xinhua News Agency November 1, 2006)