Austrian President Thomas Klestil said here Thursday that Austrian entrepreneurs and their Chinese counterparts should cooperate more in the new century.

The president made the speech at the "China-Austria Economic Day," a gathering co-organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber to marked the 35th anniversary of China-Austria economic and trade relations.

China, as a major economic powerhouse, will play an even greater role in the economic development of the Asian-Pacific region and the world as well in the new century, Klestil said.

The president said Austria is glad to see the fast growing economic and trade relations with China, and asked the 80-plus Austrian entrepreneurs accompanying him on his visit to China to expand their economic and trade links with China. About 200 people, including Austrian Minister of Economics Martin Bartenstein, Austrian and Chinese businessmen, and China's trade officials, attended the gathering.

The bilateral trade volume between the two countries reached nearly 800 million U.S. dollars last year, up 14 percent from a year ago and the most in history. By the end of 2000, the number of Austrian-invested ventures in China was 422, involving a contractual investment of 510 million U.S. dollars.

On Wednesday, entrepreneurs from the two countries signed 28 contracts of cooperation here, covering the areas of iron and steel, finance, environmental protection, construction materials and machinery.

Klestil said he was deeply impressed by the huge developments taking place in China through his several visits. He said he hopes China joins the World Trade Organization as soon as possible.

(Dragon.net.cn 05/18/2001)