Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji said Monday that China hopes to work with Cote d'Ivoire and develop bilateral friendly relations in the new century.
Zhu made the remarks during a meeting with Laurent Gbagbo, president of Cote d'Ivoire, who is on a week-long visit to China. The president is expected to conclude the visit later Monday.
Zhu said China and Cote d'Ivoire had maintained good momentum in developing bilateral relations as the areas of cooperation expanded and forms of cooperation increased.
China paid great attention to developing relations with Cote d' Ivoire, and would work together to push forward bilateral relations based on sincere friendship, equality, harmonious cooperation, common development and facing the future, Zhu said.
Gbagbo said he had seen with his own eyes the great achievements China made in its reform, opening-up and social causes, and that he had got to know China better.
He thanked China for its long-term assistance to Cote d'Ivoire and pledged that his country would firmly support the reunification of China.
The president said Cote d'Ivoire highly valued the important role played by China in international and Asian affairs, and that his country hoped bilateral relations would develop further in the new century.
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