Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Wu Guanzheng, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), hailed on Wednesday China's relations with Syria.

The Syrian president and Wu, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, met in the Syrian capital.

During the meeting, Wu said Sino-Syrian relationship is a model of bilateral ties of solidarity and cooperation between developing countries, citing the two countries as having kept on exchanging high-level visits, making steady progress in economic cooperation and trade, and supporting each other in international affairs.

He said China's new leadership would, as always, attach great importance to and promote cooperation and friendship with Syria.

The Syrian people, under the leadership of Bashar al-Assad, had faced a complicated international and regional situation with composure, and made continuous progress in developing the economy and building their country, Wu said, adding that he appreciated these achievements.

Wu also noted that Syria, a beautiful country with a long history and an ancient civilization, was one of the first Middle East countries to forge diplomatic ties with China.

Bashar al-Assad said Syrians were satisfied with the stable and fruitful development of the country's friendly cooperative ties with China in the past decades since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1956.

He said China had stuck to its own way of development in carrying out the reform and open-door policies in recent years, which led to economic growth, social harmony and the peaceful and contented living and working of its people.

China's constructive role in international affairs also rose continuously, to the delight and admiration of the Syrians, the president said.

They also exchanged views on the current international situation. Wu reiterated that China adheres to the independent foreign policy for peace and is committed to maintaining world peace and promoting common development. He said China would strive to work for a new, fair and rational international political and economic order.

Wu appreciated Syria's unswerving support for China on the Taiwan issue and the human rights issue, and noted that China would continue to support Syria's just struggle for recovering the occupied territory.

Bashar al-Assad commented highly on the Chinese government's principled stance on the Middle East issues, and thanked the Chinese people for their firm support for the just struggle of the Arab people.

He said no matter how the international situation changes, Syria will, as always, strengthen its consultation and cooperation with China in international affairs, and offer unshakable support to the Chinese people in their sacred cause to completely reunify their motherland.

Wu also met with Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Naji Otri later Wednesday. He spoke highly of the fruitful bilateral cooperation in economy, trade and investment. They exchanged views on how to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation.

Wu visited the Golan Heights in the afternoon and planted an olive tree, which symbolizes peace and friendship.

Wu, who arrived here Monday night for an official good-will visit, will leave for Aleppo, the second largest city of Syria Thursday morning. He is scheduled to meet local officials, and explore new ways and fields in which to further deepen friendly bilateral ties in various regions of the two nations.

Wu is expected to wind up his Syrian tour and leave Aleppo on Oct. 31. Syria is the last leg of his three-nation Middle East tour, which has taken him to Oman and Cyprus.

(People's Daily October 30, 2003)