Visiting Chinese President Jiang Zemin said in Caracas Monday that China and Venezuela are complementary with each other in fields of economy, trade and technology, and prospects for bilateral cooperation are broad.
President Jiang made the remarks during his formal talks with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
After extending his gratitude for the hospitality he received amidst his visit, Jiang said that Venezuela boasts rich energy resources and vast land whereas China has a population of nearly 1. 3 billion and has scored rapid economic growth. Prospects for bilateral cooperation are broad in such fields as agriculture and energy, he said.
Venezuela is the last-leg of President Jiang's six-nation Latin American tour. "This is a successful ending," he told Chavez. In response, Chavez said that Jiang's visit is "of historic significance."
China and Venezuela are to sign a series of documents to boost cooperation tomorrow. Chavez said that these documents, a reflection of the support from China to Venezuela, will also further advance the socio-economic development in his country.
According to Jiang, despite the geographical distance between the two countries, China and Venezuela shared similar historic experience and struggle process. "Such friendship clinched through history unite us together," he said.
President Jiang invited President Chavez to visit China in the coming May. Chavez accepted the invitation with pleasure.
Briefing Jiang on the Venezuelan domestic situation, Chavez said that the Venezuelan people are full of confidence in the future even the country suffered from certain temporary difficulties.
Economically, he noted, Venezuela shook off the depression and scored recovery in recent years and, internationally, the country sought to play an ever active role while strengthening the independence of its foreign policy and firmly safeguarding state sovereignty, he added.
Venezuela is keen to further its cooperation with China in a bid to ensure a more balanced socio-economic development for the benefits of the people, he said.
President Jiang expressed his belief that Venezuela could achieve ever bigger accomplishments in development through reform.
The two sides also exchanged views on areas of economic and trade cooperation.
(People's Daily 04/17/2001)
