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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, April 25, 2002

Presidents of China, Cote d'Ivoire Hold Talks

China values its friendship with Cote d'Ivoire and will make joint efforts to push bilateral relations to a new high, President Jiang said Wednesday during talks with President Laurent Gbagbo of Cote d'Ivoire. Gbagbo said he admired China's achievements in the country's economic and social progress and reiterated his country's adherence to the one-China policy.


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Chinese President Jiang Zemin said Wednesday that China values its friendship with Cote d'Ivoire and will make joint efforts to push bilateral relations to a new high.

Jiang made the remarks during talks with President Laurent Gbagbo of Cote d'Ivoire, who arrived in Beijing Tuesday night on a week-long state visit to China.

Jiang said the two countries had cooperated effectively in the past and China was grateful to Cote d'Ivoire for its one-China policy and its support of China on its reunification cause as well as on the human rights issue.

Jiang said China was satisfied with the economic cooperation and trade between the two countries. He promised that China would continue to provide assistance to Cote d'Ivoire and encourage Chinese companies to invest in the African country.

Jiang briefed China's policy towards Africa and the results of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum held in Beijing in 2000. China had so far signed debt reduction or exemption agreements with over 30 African countries including Cote d'Ivoire, and cooperation in the areas of human resources development, tourism, environmental protection and finance had started.

China was consulting closely with African countries over the senior officials and ministerial meetings scheduled to be held this year and next in Ethiopia, Jiang said.

Cote d'lvoire admires China's achievements
Gbagbo said he admired China's achievements in the country's economic and social progress, and said China was a model for developing countries.

The president thanked China for its long-term assistance in the areas of agriculture, irrigation, energy, machinery, pharmaceuticals and mining. The friendly cooperative relations between the two countries had been constantly strengthened, he said.

Gbagbo said Cote d'Ivoire treasured its relations with China. He reiterated that Cote d'Ivoire would continue to uphold the one-China policy, and believed that Taiwan, like Hong Kong and Macao, would reunite with the mainland.

Cote d'Ivoire, located in Western Africa with a population of 16.4 million, is among the world's largest producers and exporters of coffee, cocoa beans and palm oil. Its economy is largely dependent on agriculture.

Following the talks, the two presidents presided over the signing of two documents, one on China's government loans to Cote d'Ivoire, and another on cooperation in education and scientific research.

Prior to the talks, Jiang held a grand welcome ceremony at the square near the Great Hall of the People for President Gbagbo.

Gbagbo is scheduled to visit Anhui Province and Shanghai in the following days and meet Premier Zhu Rongji on Monday.



China and Cote d'Ivoire
  • Political Relations: China and Cote d'Ivoire established diplomatic relations on March 2, 1983. Since then, their relations enjoyed a smooth development. Major visits to China paid by leaders of Cote d'Ivoire include Premier D.K. Duncan (July 1996 and Sep. 1999), President Hanri Konan Bedie ( May 1997), and the Parliament Speaker (May 1999).

  • Trade Relations: The governments of the two countries signed trade agreements in 1984 and 1996.respectivly. The trade volume between the two sides in 2000 was US$ 230 million, of which the export of China was 222.8 million; import was US$ 7.2 million. In Dec.1997, China opened the Promotion Center for Investment, Trade and Development in Abidjan. >>details




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