Colombian President Meets With Chinese Communist Party DelegationColombian President Andres Pastrana met on Monday in the House of Narino with a delegation of the Communist Party of China (CPC), headed by Li Tieying, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.Li Tieying, also president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and his delegation were warmly welcomed by Pastrana, who said that the visit will not only strengthen and lead to more exchanges and cooperation between the two ruling parties in Colombia and China, but also help to promote bilateral cooperation in the fields of politics, economics and trade, culture, technology and science. During their meeting, Pastrana recalled his visit to China in May 2000, saying that the brief trip was of great significance. He also recalled the visit to China by his late father, former Colombian President Misael Pastrana Borrero in 1974, when he had the chance to meet with the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, who made such a deep impression, that when Pastrana Borrero returned to Colombia he wrote two books about that experience. Li Tieying expressed his appreciation to Colombia for its support of the One-China policy and China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO). He said that over the past 20 years, the value of bilateral trade between the two countries has increased twenty-fold, and that during the first half of this year, Colombian exports to China have increased 170 percent. The Chinese delegation arrived in Bogota on September 1, following a visit to Santiago. It finished its four-day visit to Colombia on Monday, and will continue its trip to Havana on Tuesday. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/ |