China, a reliable and trustworthy friend of Romania, occupies a key position in its foreign relations, said Romanian President Traian Basescu in an interview with Xinhua ahead of his visit to China on March 27-29.

 

Basescu said he was looking forward with tremendous interest to visiting China. He said, "The current visit is aimed at consolidating the political ties between the two countries, and further boosting bilateral trade."

 

China has always been the most important political and economic partner of Romania, he said. The two nations have consistently supported each other on important international issues, and they have helped each other in times of hardship, he said.

 

Honesty and sincerity dominate the political relations between Romania and China, he added.

 

On bilateral trade, Basescu said China and Romania both had huge potential for further economic growth. "We have a lot more to do in terms of economic development," he said.

 

He restated his country's adherence to the one-China policy, saying that the Taiwan issue is China's internal affair, and the Taiwan authority's decision to "cease the functioning" of the "National Unification Council" is a political error that will threaten security in the region.

 

Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian declared on February 27 that the "National Unification Council" would "cease to function" and that the "National Unification Guidelines" would "cease to apply," prompting international criticism.

 

(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2006)