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Chinese, Philippine Presidents Hold Talks
Jiang Zemin Meets Philippine President
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President Jiang Zemin and visiting Philippine President Joseph Estrada held talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday, and Jiang put forward four specific proposals on the direction for the future development of bilateral relations.
First, both countries should deepen their mutual trust, and promote the growth of a healthy relationship. China and the Philippines are friendly neighbors, and their peoples are like relatives, Jiang said, expressing the hope that the two nations will be good neighbors, good friends, and good partners forever.
Second, they should deepen cooperation and further consolidate the foundation of bilateral ties. China and the Philippines should carry out overall cooperation, especially in the economic and trade sector, Jiang said.
Third, both countries should properly handle existing problems in the spirit of seeking truth from facts. The issue concerning the South China Sea is one left over by history, which can not be settled immediately, he noted. China advocates the peaceful settlement of disputes through negotiations among the parties concerned in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law and modern maritime law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Jiang said.
This fully demonstrates China's sincere wish to safeguard regional peace, stability and bilateral relations, Jiang said, stressing that the most practical measure for settling the issue is to put aside disputes and seek common development.
Fourth, the two countries should offer mutual support in order to safeguard their common interest in international affairs. Jiang pointed out that China and the Philippines share many common interests in reinforcing regional cooperation and establishing a new international political and economic order, especially in the UN, the WTO, and the APEC, where, in informal meetings of east Asian leaders, they enjoy a broad cooperative foundation and can reinforce communication and coordination.
Jiang said China and the Philippines are close neighbors, and friendship between their two peoples can be traced back to ancient times. During the 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, bilateral ties have witnessed smooth growth, and development has been registered in cooperation in the political, economic, and cultural fields.
During president Estrada's current visit, the two countries will issue a joint statement on the framework of bilateral cooperation in the 21st century, which will actively define future bilateral ties and map out cooperation in all fields. This is a sign of further deepening of relations between the two countries, Jiang said.
The president also expressed appreciation over the Philippine government's pursuit of the One-China policy. The Chinese government's policy on the Taiwan issue is "peaceful reunification, and one country, two systems," he said, and China has continued its unremitting efforts to seek peaceful reunification.
The government has made it clear to the Taiwan authorities time and again that anything can be discussed if Taiwan acknowledges that there is only one China, but the One-China principle can never be abandoned, Jiang said.
"We are responsible to history and also for the 1.2 billion Chinese people both home and abroad," Jiang said.
Estrada reaffirmed that the Philippine government will, as ever, adhere to the One-China policy.
Estrada said that during his stay in Beijing, the two sides will sign a joint statement on bilateral cooperation oriented towards the 21st century, as well as other documents which will be milestones in the history of Philippine-Chinese relations, and set the direction for the development of these relations.
He said that Philippine-Chinese relations are very important, and the Philippine people will hold many activities to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the Philippines and China.
He also voiced his hope that cooperation with China will be to strengthened in regional and international affairs, and said that the Philippines understands China's stance in the human rights commission of the United Nations, and firmly supports China's efforts to enter the World Trade Organization.
He said China's entry into the WTO will help develop Philippine-Chinese trade and economic cooperation, and safeguard the interests of the developing countries as well.
On the South China Sea issue, Estrada said that the Philippine side agrees with China's view that the differences over territory and sea area should be resolved through peaceful means, and that this difference should not influence the development of bilateral relations, and should be resolved through consultations between the two countries.
After the talks, representatives of the two countries signed five documents, including a joint statement on the framework for cooperation between the governments of China and the Philippines in the 21st century, a protocol on the twelfth session of the joint commission of scientific and technological cooperation, a program for cultural cooperation agreement from 2000 to 2001, an exchange of notes on the building of a Chinese agriculture center in the Philippines, and a memo on cooperation in irrigation and other agricultural areas.
The heads of state of the two countries attended the signing ceremony.
President Estrada arrived in Beijing earlier Tuesday for a five- day state visit at the invitation of President Jiang.
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