Visiting President Jiang Zemin and his Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Bouteflika October Saturday pledged to strengthen bilateral cooperation with an eye to building a friendly Sino-Algerian relationship oriented toward the 21st century.

Speaking at a grand banquet held at the People's Palace in honor of Jiang, Bouteflika said both countries should develop bilateral and multilateral exchanges and cooperation in an all- round manner and conduct frequent dialogues in a bid to consolidate their traditional friendship and solidarity.

He said Algeria has been greatly honored with Jiang's visit, the first ever by a Chinese head of state to the country, which will surely boost bilateral ties, cooperation and trade.

The president said that China occupies a very special position in the hearts of Algerian citizens, as neither the geographical distance nor the historical or cultural differences could bar the flowers of Algerian-Chinese solidarity and friendship from blossoming.

He said that the Chinese revolution and Algerian revolution had accelerated the historical process under their respective special conditions. Soon after Algeria consolidated its independence, China extended its firm support and aid, nurturing the Sino-Algerian solidarity and friendship.

Algeria and the first generation of leaders of the People's Republic of China laid a solid foundation for the long-term cooperation between the two countries.

In reply, Jiang said it is a set policy of the Chinese government to consolidate and develop its friendly and cooperative ties with Algeria continuously.

He said both countries should proceed from the long-term interests of their peoples and unswervingly push bilateral bonds for a steady and comprehensive growth from the strategic vantage point.

He also called on both countries to tap fully their immense potentials in the cooperation and development of the economy, trade and science and technology, raise their cooperation to a new high and promote the common growth of the two countries.

He said that both sides should strengthen consultations and coordination on international issues and make new contributions to the defense of the rights of developing countries and to the safeguard of world peace and stability.

The Chinese president also called for strengthening mutual exchanges at various levels between the two countries so as to foster a more solid foundation for the development of Sino- Algerian bonds in the coming century.

He said that Algeria, as a major country in the Maghreb, the Arab world, Africa and the non-alignment movement, particularly as president of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), has made unremitting efforts to defend the rights of the developing countries, strengthen south-south cooperation and build a just and rational new world order.

Algeria has also made positive contributions to pushing for a fair settlement of the issues of the Middle East and to safeguarding regional and world peace and stability, Jiang added.

The Chinese president reiterated that China advocates building a just and rational new international order on the basis of the five principles of peaceful coexistence and other widely acknowledged norms of international relations.

He said that international conflicts should be settled through dialogues, negotiations and other peaceful efforts, instead of resorting to force or threatening to use force.

He said the international community, particularly the developed countries, are obliged to listen to the voice of the developing nations, pay attention to the problems facing them and take practical and effective measures to raise the levels of economic and social development in developing nations.

Jiang arrived here Saturday on the fifth leg of his six-nation tour of Europe, Africa and Asia. The last stop of the visit is Saudi Arabia.