China's top legislator Wu Bangguo said in Bucharest on Thursday that China is willing to expand and deepen exchanges and cooperation with Romania in the fields of politics, economy and culture, furthering the fully-fledged Sino-Romanian relations of friendship and cooperation.

 

Wu, Chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), made the pledge during his talks here with Romanian President of Chamber of Deputies Bogdan Olteanu, which focused on bilateral ties, exchanges between the two parliaments, and on other issues of common concern.

 

Wu said China always treated Romania as a good friend and partner in Europe, and strengthening the fully-fledged cooperative relations with Romania is the set policy of the Chinese government. His visit here is aimed at pushing forward the Sino-Romanian fully-fledged friendly relations of cooperation, Wu added.

 

Wu spoke highly of Sino-Romanian relations, saying that they had witnessed considerable achievements since the two countries established diplomatic ties more than half a century ago.

 

The political foundation of their bilateral ties have been consolidated by the signing of a joint statement on establishing a fully-fledged friendly partnership of cooperation during the state visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao to Romania in 2004, and by the great consensus reached on further strengthening the bilateral relations during the visit of Romanian President Traian Basescu to China in March this year. The rapid development of bilateral economic and trade cooperation has laid a solid physical foundation for the friendly relations, he said.

 

Wu said exchanges between the parliaments had formed an important part of the bilateral relations. He promised that China's NPC would continue to strengthen the exchanges and cooperation at various levels with the Romanian parliament to make new contributions to the development of the relationship between the two sides.

 

Expressing his agreement with Wu's comments, Olteanu said relations between the two countries had entered an important period of development. Wu's visit played a very important role in deepening ties, he said.

 

Romania treats China as the most important partner in Asia and developing friendly relations with China is a priority of Romania's foreign policy, Olteanu said.

 

The Romanian Chamber of Deputies will continue to work with China's NPC to give impetus into the development of the comprehensive relations of cooperation between the two nations.

 

Olteanu reiterated that the Romanian parliament adhered to the one-China policy, adding that it would not be changed on any condition. It also supports China's peaceful unification, the lower house chief said.

 

The two leaders jointly held a press conference after the talks.

 

Wu arrived here on Wednesday afternoon for a three-day official good-will visit to Romania, the first leg of his four-nation tour, which will also take him to Moldova, Greece and Russia.

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 19, 2006)