Visiting Czech President Vaclav Klaus said Tuesday that he hoped to see more Chinese entrepreneurs, especially those from China's southwest province of Sichuan, participate in Czech-China trade and economic cooperation. 

Klaus made the remark when he addressed an exchange seminar for Czech and Sichuan entrepreneurs in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province.

The Czech president was here to learn the implementation of China's strategy of extensively developing the western areas and promote the economic cooperation between Czech and Sichuan enterprises.

Zhang Xuezhong, secretary of the Communist Party of China Sichuan Provincial Committee, and Zhang Zhongwei, governor of Sichuan Province, met the president Tuesday noon.

Zhang Xuezhong said that Sichuan is one of the most important provinces in China's western areas which have a huge potential for business growth. He expressed the hope that Sichuan and the Czech Republic can work together more closely and thus benefit more from the cooperation.

Klaus said he was very impressed by seeing the rapid development of Sichuan and he hoped the Czech Republic can forge cooperation with the province in fields like high technology and finance.

Klaus arrived in Chengdu on Monday evening, on his state visit to China from April 16 to 23, at the invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao.

(Xinhua News Agency April 21, 2004)