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Vice President Meets Philippine President
Vice President Hu Jintao and Philippine President Joseph Estrada met Wednesday for friendly talks.
After their discussions, they attended a reception to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the Philippines, hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.
Hu Jintao addressed the reception. Looking back on the history of the friendly exchanges between China and the Philippines, Hu said that long-lasting Sino-Philippine friendship is the treasure of bilateral relations, and Sino-Philippine ties have developed smoothly since the two countries forged ties 25 years ago. He said that cooperation between the two sides in the political, economic, cultural, and scientific and technological fields has developed rapidly and scored sizable achievements.
He noted that the frequent contacts and exchange of visits in recent years between the senior officials of the two countries has promoted mutual understanding and friendship, especially the successful state visit by Chinese President Jiang Zemin to the Philippines in 1996. During that visit, Jiang and Philippine leaders reached agreement on strengthening good-neighborly cooperative relations of mutual trust oriented towards 21st century, which sets the direction for the long-term development of the bilateral relations.
Hu said that during his current China trip, President Estrada and President Jiang held fruitful talks, and the two sides signed a joint statement on the framework for bilateral cooperation in the 21st century, which further articulates the guiding principles for developing bilateral relations, charts out the course of these relationship in the new century, and will leave a significant impact on the long-term, healthy and steady progress of the Sino- Philippine relationship.
He noted that as developing countries, both China and the Philippines face the common challenges and opportunities of accelerated economic globalization and regional cooperation, and share extensive common concerns and interests in regional and international affairs. Further consolidating and developing the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries conforms with the fundamental interests and aspirations of the two peoples, and will contribute to peace, stability, and prosperity of the region.
Hu said that even for close neighbors like China and the Philippines, sometimes differences are unavoidable. However, as long as both sides calmly and prudently handle these differences through dialogue and consultation, and proceed from a historical point of view taking into consideration the larger interests of their friendly ties, the smooth progress of their friendly relations and cooperation will not be disrupted. China and the Philippines should and are definitely able to become good neighbors, friends, and partners.
He said the Chinese government and people cherish the traditional Sino-Philippine friendship, and stand ready to work with the Philippines to achieve long-term and steady cooperative relations of good-neigborliness and mutual trust.
Estrada said that Philippine-Chinese relations have grown and flourished since the joint communique establishing diplomatic ties was signed in 1975.
He said that Philippine-Chinese relations, which have their roots in centuries and millennia of intense people-to-people contacts, continue to expand today, and are marked by close cooperation and exchanges in many fields of mutual interest. Over the past 25 years, he said, bilateral relations have developed continuously, especially in the fields of friendly exchanges, trade, and culture.
He also mentioned the Sultan Sulu monument in Dezhou in China's Shandong Province, which symbolizes Philippine-Chinese friendship, and said he feels very proud of being able to continue the long history of friendly exchanges between China and the Philippines. He also expressed the willingness to strengthen friendly exchanges in the cultural, economic and social fields. During the reception, there were performances by both Chinese and Philippine artists.
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