The Romanian embassy in Beijing plans to issue tourist visa to Chinese citizens beginning in January, 2005, Romanian ambassador to China Viorel Isticioaia Budura announced in Beijing Tuesday.

The move will carry out relevant tourism agreements signed between Romania and China in Bucharest, capital of Romania in June this year, Isticioaia said.

During the state visit to Romania in June, Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Romanian counterpart, Ion Iliescu, signed a statement, pledging to establish an "all-round friendly and cooperative partnership" between the two countries.

In the statement, China agreed to designate Romania as the tourist destination for Chinese citizens and welcomes Romania to open tourists office in Beijing.

In addition, the two sides signed four bilateral documents that will expand their cooperation in the fields of culture, tourism, economic cooperation and overall relations.

During the talks with Iliescu, Hu said the two countries should expand tourism cooperation because Romania has become a tourism destination of China.

To implement these agreements, Isticioaia said Tuesday that Romanian and China are also planning to set up a joint-venture youth travel agency to advance the tourism cooperation between the two countries.

As one of celebration events to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the China-Romania diplomatic ties, 55 young Romanians came to visit China in May this year as guests of the All-China Youth Federation. In return, 55 Chinese young people visited Romania in late October.

"The young people has played an important role in expanding and enhancing the exchanges and cooperation between Romania and China," Isticioaia said. "We can see that there is no lack of successors to carry forward the friendship between the two countries."

Meanwhile, Romania and China are speeding up efforts to broaden exchanges and cooperation in culture area, he said. A Romanian culture center will be established in Beijing next year to help Chinese people learn better Romanian culture.

"In addition, the culture ministries of the two countries will launch a 'Chinese Culture Year' in Romania next year and a 'Romanian Culture Year' in Beijing in 2006, if conditions permitted," Isticioaia said.

(Xinhua News Agency November 24, 2004)