Leaders of China and Argentina on Tuesday exchanged greetings on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
In a telegraph to his Argentine counterpart, Eduardo Duhalde, Chinese President Jiang Zemin expressed, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, cordial greetings and good wishes to Duhalde as well as the Argentine government and people.
He said,"Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Argentina, bilateral cooperative and friendly relations have developed and been fortified."
During the three decades, Jiang said, high-level reciprocal visits have been frequent, mutual understanding and trust have been deepened, and cooperation in various fields has yielded substantial results.
Argentina has become an important trade partner of China in the Latin American region, he noted.
In international affairs, the two nations have supported each other and worked closely together, Jiang said, and the 30-year history proves that the Sino-Argentine ties, based on the five principles of peaceful coexistence, have conformed with the fundamental interests of the two peoples.
Jiang said that the Chinese government has attached great importance to the relations with Argentina.
Jiang said that the two sides reached consensus on building across-the-board bilateral cooperative ties in the 21st century during his state visit to the South American country last April.
Jiang said in conclusion that China would like to make joint efforts with Argentina to enhance mutual political trust, promote cooperation of mutual benefit and push forward the development of bilateral relations.
In his message, Duhalde said he is very glad to send greetings to Jiang and the Chinese people on the important day when the two countries are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between them.
The Argentine government has put great emphasis on the Argentina-China relations, which have turned out to be a new page in the 30-year history, Duhalde said, wishing that in the 10 years to come the two sides would create another resplendence in developing their relations.
He said the Argentine people admire the persistent go-ahead spirit and ability of their Chinese counterparts, which have enabled China to secure a prominent position on the international stage.
Just like China, Argentina cherishes the great aspiration of contributing to the construction of the world, and is concerned with the maintenance of world peace and security, Duhalde noted.
He pledged that his government will continue to shore up political, economic and trade cooperation with China.
He voiced his belief that the smooth development of bilateral ties will greatly benefit the two peoples and further strengthen the links between Latin America and China.
Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan and his Argentine counterpart, Carlos Ruckauf, also sent greetings to each other on the day to mark the anniversary.
Both ministers spoke out their hope that friendship and understanding between the peoples of the two countries will be further deepened in the new century.
(Xinhua News Agency February 19, 2002)
