Chinese President Hu Jintao met in Boao, Hainan Friday with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, former Pakistani President Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari, and former US President George Bush who are here to attend the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2004.

 

During his meeting with Hun Sen, Hu extended his congratulations on the broad consensus on promotion of friendly cooperation and a number of cooperation documents China and Cambodia signed during the prime minister's current visit.

 

China and Cambodia share a long-term friendship. To further consolidate and develop the traditional friendship is the historical mission of the leaders of the two countries, Hu said.

 

In the new century, Sino-Cambodian ties progressed continuously and the two countries have become good friends and good neighbors featuring mutual trust and close cooperation, Chinese president noted.

 

The Chinese government and people value the China-Cambodian friendship and attach importance to the bilateral cooperation, Hu said.

 

China will adhere to the principle of "good-neighborliness and partnership" and implement the policy of promoting friendship, peace and prosperity with its neighbors, Hu said, adding that China will support the Cambodian government's efforts in maintaining the nation's stability, promoting ethnic unity and stimulating economic development.

 

China will make joint efforts with Cambodia to push forward the good-neighborliness and friendly cooperation in width, depth and to a higher level, the president said.

 

Hun Sen said during his visit, he met with China's new leadership and witnessed the great achievements China scored through reform and opening-up. The visit also bore fruits in pushing forward bilateral economic cooperation. All of those made his China tour a very successful one, said the Cambodian prime minister.

 

It is a strategic goal of the Cambodian government's foreign policy to actively develop the overall friendly cooperation with China, Hun Sen said.

 

Cambodia hopes to draw on China's experience for development and welcomes more Chinese companies to invest in Cambodia, he said.

 

Hun Sen reiterated that the Cambodian government will firmly adhere to the one-China policy.

 

During his meeting with Leghari, Hu Jintao spoke highly on the efforts of the former president in promoting the friendly cooperation between China and Pakistan.

 

The China-Pakistan ties share a friendly and long-term history, high-level mutual trust, broad support from the public and mutual benefit in economy, which could serve as the model for China's relations with its neighbors, Hu said.

 

The Chinese government always takes the China-Pakistan relations as a long-term strategy, Hu said, noting that China is willing to maintain and develop the comprehensive cooperation partnership together with the Pakistani side, and to explore a more promising future for the friendly cooperation between the two sides.

 

Leghari said the friendship of the two peoples stood historical tests and was widely accepted. It is the premier task of the present and previous Palestinian government to strengthen the cooperation between the two sides, he said.

 

Laghari spoke highly of BFA's achievements in the three years since its establishment, saying that the forum would play an important role in promoting the regional cooperation and common prosperity in Asia.

 

During talks with former US President Bush, Hu said he hoped Bush would pay more attention to the forum and that the BFA offers an important stage for the leaders from all nations to discuss Asia's development and promote regional cooperation.

 

When discussing Sino-US relations, Hu said the two sides have made fresh progress in trade, anti-terrorism and other affairs in recent years, which accords with the interests of both sides and is conducive to the world peace and stability.

 

China is willing to make joint efforts with the United States to grasp the overall situation of Sino-US relations, to strengthen exchanges and cooperation, to properly deal with problems between the two sides, and to promote the Sino-US relations to continue to develop steadily.

 

Hu stressed that the Taiwan issue is the most important and most sensitive core problem in the bilateral ties.

 

Firm opposition to "Taiwan independence" is of great importance to maintain the peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits and the healthy development of the Sino-US relations, said the Chinese president.

 

China attaches importance to US leaders' reiteration that the US side will adhere to the one-China policy and the three Sino-US joint communiqués, oppose "Taiwan independence", and oppose the comments and actions made by the leader of Taiwan leading to changes of the status quo unilaterally.

 

China hopes the US side would turn its principles and stands into actions, Hu said.

 

Bush said he was glad to attend the annual conference of the BFA since he can meet not only old friends, but also political and economic celebrities in Asia and the rest of the world.

 

He said US-China relations have made important developments in recent years. The 15th session of the China-US Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade held in Washington has seen a successful outcome, which is very important to bilateral relations.

 

He said President Bush has reiterated that the United States adheres to the one-China policy and the three US-China joint communiqués. The US president also highly valued the important role that China has made in the efforts for peaceful solution to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

 

Bush said he is very confident in the bright future of bilateral relations. Hu and Bush also exchanged views on issues of common concern.

 

(Xinhua News Agency April 24, 2004)