Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said it is a consistent policy of China to strengthen friendship and cooperation with the Arab countries, including Tunisia.
China will make concerted efforts together with the Arab world to strengthen their exchanges and further expand their friendly cooperation of mutual benefit, said Tang, in talks Monday in Beijing with visiting Tunisian Foreign Minster Habib Ben Yahia, who arrived November 18.
During the talks, the two foreign ministers exchanged in-depth views on furthering bilateral friendship and cooperation, as well as regional and international issues of common concern.
Tang said China and Tunisia, based on the principles of mutual understanding and support, equality and reciprocity, have, in the past several years, seen steady development of their friendly and cooperative relations in various fields, and maintained good consultations and coordination in international affairs, with which China is most satisfied.
Ben Yahia mentioned the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries and the remarkable results of their cooperation in the past few years, saying that Tunisia will continue to make efforts to increase bilateral cooperation in various fields.
On the anti-terrorism issue, Tang said, China has always been opposed to terrorism in any form, opposed to linking terrorism with any specific religion, ethnic group, area or country, and opposed to the practice of double standards on this issue.
He stressed that combating terrorism requires more international cooperation, a bigger role for the United Nations and its Security Council, and proper treatment of terrorist activities and their roots.
Ben Yahia said Tunisia attaches great importance to combating terrorism, and has taken a series of measures to this end.
Pointing out that the roots of terrorism are diversified, he said only through international cooperation can terrorist activities be effectively curbed.
The two ministers also exchanged views on such issues as Afghanistan, the Middle East and North Africa, and reached a wide-ranging consensus.
After the talks, the two ministers signed a bilateral extradition treaty on behalf of their respective governments.
(People's Daily November 20, 2001)
