Chinese, Mongolian Presidents Hold Talks
Chinese President Jiang Zemin held fruitful talks with Mongolian President Nachagyn Bagabandy in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, on the afternoon of July 15, in which the two sides reached consensus on a number of important issues.
After welcoming Jiang's visit on behalf of the Mongolian government and himself, Bagabandy said his meeting with Jiang again within one year after he visited China last December was itself a reflection of the strengthening friendship between the two countries.
He said Jiang's state visit was significant for it was paid in the year marking both the 50th anniversary of the forging of the diplomatic ties between China and Mongolia and the founding of the People's Republic of China. He believed the visit will make important contribution to the growth of Mongolia-China relationship in the 21st century.
Jiang described his visit as important for it is aimed to review the past and face up the future in the bid to push forward the good-neighborhood, friendship and cooperation between China and Mongolia well into the 21st century.
The Chinese president first reviewed the growth of the bilateral ties. During the past half century, he said, good-neighborly friendship remained the mainstream even though there had been some twists and turns between the two countries.
He particularly mentioned that the bilateral ties witnessed rapid development with tangible fruits scored in all sectors during the past 10 years.
Politically, leaders of the two countries kept frequent mutual visits and gradually improved their mutual trust, he said.
According to Jiang, the Sino-Mongolian treaty on friendship and cooperation signed in 1994 laid the political and legal foundation for the healthy and steady growth of bilateral ties. Also, during Bagabandy's state visit to China last year, the two sides agreed to build up long-term, stable, healthy, mutually trust-worthy China-Mongolia relationship based on good-neighborhood, friendship and cooperation toward the 21st century, he said, adding that such relationship clearly delineated the future development direction.
Economically, the mutually beneficial cooperation has seen ever-increasing expansion, he said. Currently, China has become Mongolia's second largest trading partner and leading investor.
In the international arena, Jiang said, the two countries shared similar and identical views on many issues, and supported and cooperated with each other effectively, Jiang said, adding that China is satisfied with the current expanding friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
Jiang pointed out that both sides have sufficient proofs to believe that the maintenance of the bilateral friendly relations is not only in the fundamental interests of the two peoples, but also conducive to the peace and development for the whole world.
Provided that the two countries adhere to the essential principles of the 1994 treaty and firmly hold the general development direction, Jiang said, the current relations can reap more benefits for the two peoples, promote common prosperity, and bind the two countries as good friends and good neighbors.
Also, China will continue to respect Mongolia's independence and sovereignty, its nuclear-free-region stance and the development path chosen by the Mongolian people, Jiang said.
President Jiang Zemin appreciated the friendship policy toward China pursued by Mongolia and commented positively the Mongolian decision to give priority to its relations with China and Russia. As a wise decision, it will politically strengthen mutual trust and economically reciprocate as well as exert positive impact on safeguarding the regional peace and stability.
Jiang also welcomed Mongolia's development of friendly relations with other countries on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.
Bagabandy said that he fully agreed with Jiang's remarks, observing that the two countries have enjoyed long-term friendship with bilateral cooperation diversified and mutual understanding and trust steadily deepened.
He stressed that as an important aspect of Mongolia's foreign policy, Mongolia will strenuously push the good-neighborly friendship and equal and mutual-trusting cooperation with China on the basis of the bilateral treaty signed in 1994.
Bagabandy expressed satisfaction with the smooth development in all sectors of bilateral cooperation and the willingness that Mongolia will actively promote the long-term, stable, healthy and mutual-trusting relations of good-neighborly friendship with China which looks forward to the 21st century.
Mongolia gives priority to developing long-term and stable friendship with two neighboring countries, namely China and Russia, while carrying out exchanges and cooperation of all kinds with other countries, Bagabandy said.
On the bilateral economic cooperation, Jiang Zemin said that China has always attached importance to developing economic and trade cooperation with Mongolia on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.
As neighboring countries, China and Mongolia enjoy a number of advantages to develop their economic and trade cooperation, the Chinese president said, adding that the two countries have broad cooperative areas and great potentials to tap.
On the basis of equality and mutual benefit, the cooperation should be carried out in insightful and realistic ways and in line with each's realistic conditions, the rules of the market economy and international practices, he said.
To that end, he put forwards five suggestions for the future cooperation:
First, both sides should fully make use of such existing channels as the mutual visits of leaders between the two countries and the China-Mongolia Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technological Cooperative Committee so that the two sides can promptly push forward and direct their cooperation in macro-economic level.
Second, China is willing to encourage its competent corporations to invest in Mongolia and expand various cooperation by clinching wholly-owned or joint ventures in Mongolia. Moreover, China urged the Mongolian side to improve the investment environment and guarantee the legal rights of Chinese investors.
Third, both countries can make use of the other's advantages for Mongolia has abundant resources and China has technologies and equipment suitable to the Mongolian needs.
Fourth, border trade constitutes an important part of Sino- Mongolian economic and trade relations. The two sides should strengthen management in this regard so as to ensure its healthy and orderly development.
Fifth, both side should pay high attention and give full play to the Beijing-Ulan Bator-Moscow railway, which is a rail line linking up Asia and Europe continents, in a bid to promote the development of each's national economy and foreign trade.
On the "One China" policy, Bagabandy reiterated that Mongolia adheres to its principled stance on the Taiwan issue.
Bagabandy told Jiang that "There is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory. The government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing the whole China."
Jiang recalled his explanation to Bagabandy about China's stance on the Taiwan issue during his visit to China last December.
Bagabandy then in return expressed his understanding of and agreement on China's stand, stressing that Mongolia supported China's principle of "One country, two systems; and Peaceful reunification" and did not support the independence of Taiwan.
Jiang expressed his appreciation of the stand taken by the Mongolian government and believed the Mongolian side will continue to stick to its correct stance.
Jiang and his Mongolian counterpart also exchanged views on the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Mongolia.
Bagabandy hoped Mongolian Prime Minister Janlaviin Narantsatsralt could pay a working visit to China and attend the celebration activities held in China.
Jiang expressed China's welcome to such a working visit. The two sides also exchanged views on international situation and global and regional issues of common concern.
Chinese 1999-07-16 Page1
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