| Tuesday, November 13, 2001, updated at 10:30(GMT+8) |
Li Ruihuan Meets Fijian PM |
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All peace-loving nations and people in the world should join hands in safeguarding the hard-won peaceful situation, Li Ruihuan, head of China's top advisory body said Monday in Suva.
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CPPCC Chairman Meets Fijian PM
All peace-loving nations and people in the world should join hands in safeguarding the hard-won peaceful situation, Li Ruihuan, head of China's top advisory body said Monday in Suva.
Li, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said this at a meeting with Fijian Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase.
Li arrived in Nadi Sunday for a five-day official goodwill visit to Fiji and flew in this capital of Fiji on Monday morning.
Although China and Fiji are far away from each other geographically, Li said, the contacts between the two peoples can be traced back to long time ago.
Fiji is the first among south pacific island nations that have forged diplomatic ties with China, he said, adding that since then, the China-Fiji relations in all fields have been proceeding in a smooth way.
Noting that bilateral friendly cooperative ties conform to the fundamental interests of the two peoples, he said China is ready to cooperate with Fiji to push bilateral friendly cooperative ties to a new height in the new century.
On the international situation, Li said, peace is the common aspiration of the people and the prerequisite for development. In the last century, he said, two world wars caused heavy losses of lives and properties, bringing about great catastrophes for the people.
People have learned from the past experience that peace should be greatly treasured, he said, citing an ancient Chinese saying that fighting should be turned into peace.
At present, he said the relationship among different countries has become closer and closer, following the fast pace of scientific and technological advancement and economic
globalization.
The disturbance of one country may often involve interests of many other nations and the conflict in one region may be related to the rest of the world, he said, adding that the impact of peace on the people and their care for peace are more than ever extensive and far-reaching.
Without a peaceful environment, he said, how could the economy be developed, the society pushed forward and the people's living standard improved?
Thus, all peace-loving countries and nations should be united to combat all acts that go against peace, he said.
He stated that at present, terrorism has posed a practical threat to world peace and China opposes any form of terrorism. Also, he said that China holds that the fight against terrorism should have clear objectives and avoid hurting innocent people.
It should also conform to the U.N. Charter and the acknowledged international norms and give full play to the role of the U.N. and the Security Council, he added.
He noted that the China loves peace and has always adopted an independent foreign policy of peace, saying that the Chinese sincerely hopes all people in the world, including the Fijian people, join hands and make concerted efforts to safeguard the hard-won situation of peace and to contribute their due to a bright yet new century.
Reiterating China's principled stance on the Taiwan issue, Li said he thanked the Fijian government for its persistence in the one China policy.
Qarase said Li is the first foreign leader to visit Fiji since last September's election in Fiji, and that this has demonstrated China's understanding of and support for Fiji.
Since the two countries forged diplomatic ties 26 years ago, he said, bilateral cooperation has been expanded in scope and content.
The Fijian government thanked the Chinese government's assistance to Fiji in various forms in the past years, as well as the importance it has attached to the Fiji-China economic and trade relations of cooperation.
The prime minister stressed that his government will firmly stick to the one China policy and support China's reunification at an early date.
Noting the Fijian government appreciates the Chinese government's persistence in principles and upholding of justice on the international issues, he said all countries, no matter big or small, should pay more attention to friendly exchanges so as to promote world peace and stability.
He congratulated on China's entry into the World Trade Organization.
Later Monday, the prime minister and Li attended a signing ceremony for an economic and technological cooperation agreement between the two countries.
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