Chinese President Hu Jintao and Spain's King Juan Carlos I met in Beijing on Tuesday and announced that the two countries would bolster their strategic partnership.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement read that "Hu and Juan Carlos I agreed to work together to promote the China-Spain relationship and thus take the all-round strategic partnership to a new high," said on Tuesday.

During hour-long talks at in the Great Hall of the People, the two heads of state reviewed the progress of China-Spain over the past 34 years.

Recent years have witnessed markedly faster progress in terms of bilateral ties, said Hu, highlighting positive areas of development in terms of culture, education, science, technology and law enforcement.

Hu said that the upbeat trend of the all-round strategic partnership was a cause for optimism for the future of bilateral ties. Hu also extended his thanks for the Spanish government's one-China stance.

China is particularly keen to ramp up cooperation with Spain on telecommunications, environmental protection and renewable energy. In this light, China is seeking a balanced trade relationship with Spain and is actively promoting two-way investment.

For his part, Juan Carlos I agreed to deepen the all-round strategic partnership through his China trip. This is his third state visit to China and coincides with the current "Year of Spain in China" exchange program.

Juan Carlos I said he enthusiastically sought to forge stronger Spain-China ties on trade, culture and global affairs.

After the talks, Hu and Juan Carlos I took in an arts exhibition entitled "From Titian to Goya: Great Masters of the Museum of Prado" in the National Art Museum of China in downtown Beijing, a display of paintings from the Prado Museum in Madrid.

Juan Carlos I is due to attend more business and cultural activities in Beijing before heading for southwest China's Sichuan Province on Thursday.

(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2007)