¡¡ Chinese Vice-President Hu Jintao, meeting on October 19 with the Chief of Staff of the Algerian National People's Army, Mohamed Lamari, said that the upcoming state visit to Algeria by President Jiang Zemin will mark a major event in the history of Sino-Algerian relations.

¡¡ Hu, also vice-chairman of China's Central Military Commission, highly appreciated the Algerian government's support on such issues as Taiwan and human rights.

¡¡ "We highly appreciate the efforts by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and the Algerian government to maintain domestic stability, promote national reconciliation and economic development, as well as their important roles in regional and international affairs," said Hu. Hu also added that as developing countries, China and Algeria share common views on several major international issues. This has laid a solid foundation in developing bilateral friendship and cooperative ties in the new century.

¡¡ Lamari noted the friendship and cooperation between China and Algeria and their armed forces and said that his current visit to China would benefit the further growth of relations between the two sides.

¡¡ Present was Fu Quanyou, member of the Central Military Commission and chief of general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. (Xinhua)