China Wishes Balkan Nations Harmonious Coexistence: Li Peng

Visiting Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress (NPC) Li Peng said Wednesday that China sincerely hopes the Balkan countries can achieve peaceful coexistence and common development.

Li, who arrived in Ljubljana from Yugoslavia on Tuesday afternoon for an official goodwill visit to Slovenia, said this when meeting with Slovenian President Milan Kucan.

He said that after drastic changes took place in Eastern Europe at the beginning of this decade, China respected the Slovenian people's political choice and established diplomatic relations with the Republic of Slovenia in 1992, soon after its independence from former Yugoslavia in 1991.

This embodied China's independent foreign policy of peace, Li said.

China repeatedly affirms that it is willing to develop ties with each former Yugoslav republic on the basis of five principles of coexistence, Li noted, saying his country has never sought selfish interests in its intercourse with these nations.

On regional conflicts, the Chinese leader said China has always insisted that international or ethnical differences or disputes should be solved through peaceful negotiations rather than the use of force, and that internal problems of every country be settled by their own people.

China has been strongly opposed to the logic of "human rights above sovereignty", he said, noting that the recognition of this logic, which provides excuses for foreign interference in the internal affairs of other countries, is very harmful to the healthy development of international relations.

On bilateral economic and trade ties, Li pointed out that the prospect is promising, urging the business sector of both countries to explore for cooperation potentials.

On his part, Kucan described China as an important political force on the international stage and a strategic partner of Slovenia.

He reaffirmed his country's one-China policy, saying Slovenia does not establish any political ties with Taiwan except mutual contacts in the business field.

Kucan expressed the belief that China is able to settle the Taiwan issue by itself.

Li is on a six-nation tour, which has taken him to Yugoslavia and will also carry him to Croatia, Slovakia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine.



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