Comprehensive consensus was reached between China and Romania on further boosting the China-Romania friendship and all-round friendly and cooperative partnership during a summit meeting in Beijing on Tuesday afternoon.

 

Meeting with his Romanian counterpart Traian Basescu, President Hu Jintao said that China-Romania relations have seen stable development despite a changing international situation and their respective states of domestic affairs.

 

"The two sides have established mutual political trust and equality, harvested mutual economic benefit and forged mutual understanding and close coordination in relation to various international issues," Hu said, expressing his appreciation for Romania's adherence to the one-China and other friendly policies in regard to China.

 

"We respect the development path chosen by the Romanian people and always regard Romania as a good friend and partner in Central and Eastern Europe," Hu stressed.

 

Basescu highlighted the traditional friendly and cooperative relations between Romania and China, noting that China is a major part of his country's foreign policy.

 

Romania will not change its policy on the Taiwan issue, and supports the one-China policy, Basescu said, stressing that the Taiwan issue is China's internal affairs and the issue of reunification should be resolved by the Chinese people.

 

Hu said that Sino-Romanian relations have entered into a new stage of development, noting that it is their joint responsibility to consolidate and further the traditional friendship and strengthen the pragmatic cooperation in various fields to step up the bilateral relations in the new century.

 

"To realize such a goal, China will maintain the high-level exchanges and cement the friendly communications between the two governments, legislatures and parties", Hu vowed.

 

The two governments should make efforts to help Chinese and Romanian businesses to foster cooperation and investment in key industries to expand economic and trade cooperation, Hu said.

 

Hu also called on the two sides to further bilateral cooperation in fields such as culture, education and tourism, and intensify consultation and coordination on issues like human rights, UN reform and the campaign against terrorism.

 

Basescu agreed with Hu's proposals to foster Romania-China cooperation, saying that Romania regards China as an important economic partner in Asia, welcomes Chinese businesses to invest in Romania and will create a favorable environment with preferential investment policies.

 

After the talks, the two leaders attended the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding on bilateral cooperation and administrative assistance concerning customs and excise.

 

(Xinhua News Agency March 29, 2006)