Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang Tuesday hailed the newly established China-Indonesia strategic partnership, saying that it will boost "comprehensive cooperation" between the two countries.?

The strategic partnership was established during President Hu Jintao's state visit to Indonesia that was concluded Tuesday afternoon.

 

Qin said the strategic partnership between China and Indonesia had "both regional and international significance."

 

He recalled Hu's talks with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. He said Hu had suggested that the strategic partnership be developed by focusing on seven aspects, including more exchange of high-level visits, improving cooperation on economy, security and disaster relief, promoting relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)?and the cooperation in East Asia, and improving cooperation among developing nations.

 

Qin said Hu's suggestions received positive feedback from Susilo. During Hu's Indonesia visit, the two countries signed a series of cooperative agreements.

 

Qin said President Hu also met with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf during the Asia-Africa Summit in Jakarta, and the two sides exchanged views on political relations, economic cooperation and trade between the two countries, as well as on the situation in South Asia.

 

He said the meeting is "significant" for the promotion of a strategic and cooperative partnership between the two countries.

 

He said China and Pakistan are two developing countries with "traditional good-neighborly relations," and that the meeting between Hu and Musharraf will push forward the strategic and cooperative partnership as well as the cooperation between the two countries.

 

Qin said the meeting between President Hu and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Jakarta is another important contact between the leaders of the two countries, and will play a positive role in pushing forward bilateral relations.

 

He said Hu and Singh spoke highly of the recent visit by Premier Wen Jiabao to India, and vowed to make joint efforts to push forward bilateral good-neighborly relations of friendship.

 

Hu told Singh at the meeting that "China and India should be good neighbors, good friends and good partners," Qin said.

 

"China-India relations face precious opportunities of development, and both countries should seize the good opportunities and push forward bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation," Qin quoted Hu as saying.

 

Qin said Singh agreed to Hu's viewpoint, and said the Indian government is willing to take the opportunity "to establish a strategic partnership toward peace and prosperity, implement the consensus between the two sides and push forward the development of bilateral ties in an all-round way."

 

Qin said the recent meeting in Jakarta between President Hu and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, held during a difficult time in Sino-Japanese relations, is "significant" and is "valued" by the two countries. It also drew attention from the international community, he said.

 

"The two leaders confirmed the importance of the ties, stressed that the two sides should seek a general situation of Sino-Japanese relations and Asia's peace and development, properly handle major issues, especially the historical and Taiwan issue, so as to push forward a healthy and stable development of the relations," he said.

 

He said Hu put forward five-point proposal on Sino-Japanese relations, and Koizumi gave a positive response.

 

"We hope the two sides take the opportunity to take measures to reduce disputes and overcome difficulties to enable Sino-Japanese relations back to a track of healthy and stable development," he said.

 

Commenting on Japanese government's hope that Premier Wen would visit Japan during the Aichi Expo 2005, Qin said the Chinese government attaches importance to high-level exchanges and contact with Japan, and is willing to create proper conditions for it.

 

He said Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing will attend the Seventh ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Foreign Ministers' Meeting from May 6 to 7 in Kyoto, Japan.

 

He will also attend the Third Meeting of the Tripartite Commission of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), as well as the ASEAN?and China, Japan and the ROK (10+3) Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Kyoto.

 

In another development, Qin said China has extended condolences to Japan for the deadly train derailment.

 

Li and Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wang Yi on Monday sent separate messages to the Japanese side, on behalf of the Chinese government, expressing condolences to the families of the deceased and the people who were injured in the accident, Qin said.

 

A packed commuter train jumped the tracks and hurtled into an apartment complex in an urban area near Amagasaki of Hyogo Prefecture, some 400 km west of Tokyo, claiming the lives of at least?91 people and injuring more than 400 others. The tragedy was Japan's worst rail disaster in four decades.?

 

Qin said China welcomes US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill's visit and is ready to exchange views with him on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and China-US relations.

 

The chief US envoy on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue arrived in Beijing Tuesday after talks with ROK officials in Seoul to discuss resuming the six-party talks.

 

Qin said vice foreign ministers, Dai Bingguo, Yang Jiechi and Wu Dawei, will meet or hold talks with Hill separately Tuesday afternoon, without giving details.

 

"We believe it is helpful for China and the United States to improve exchange and communication," he said.

 

Beijing is the second stop of Hill's three-nation trip that will take him to Japan on Wednesday.

 

On Monday, Hill held talks with ROK Deputy Foreign Minister Song Min-soon. He also met with President Roh Moo-hyun and Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon.

 

Three rounds of the six-party talks have been held to try to resolve the nuclear issue on the Korea Peninsula. The talks have been stalled since June last year as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea accused the US of adopting a hostile policy toward it.

 

(Xinhua News Agency April 27, 2005)