Chinese Vice-President Meets Malta GuestsChinese Vice-President Wednesday Hu Jintao met with Lawrence Gonzi, visiting deputy leader of the Malta Nationalist Party, who also serves as deputy prime minister and minister of Social Policy and Relations with Parliament.Hu, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) Central Committee, said that though the two countries are geographically separated, they share a traditional friendship. The relationship between China and Malta can serve as an example for the friendly co- existence between countries of different social systems, he added. Hu noted that China values and appreciates Malta's emphasis on developing relations with China as well as Malta's adherence to the one-China policy. The CPC hopes to further enhance the exchange and cooperation, and increase mutual understanding with the Malta Nationalist Party on the four principles of independence, absolute equality, mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, he added. Malta, a small country in the Mediterranean, is proud of its good relations with China, which boasts a population of 1.2 billion, Gonzi said, adding that the Nationalist Party hopes to contribute to the further development of party-to-party and state- to-state relations. When it comes to the Taiwan issue, Gonzi praised China's experience in successfully resolving the issues of Hong Kong and Macao, stressing that Malta will persist in the "one-China" policy and hopes for earlier reunification of China. He also said he hoped that China will enter the World Trade Organization as soon as possible. |
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