FM Spokesman on Jiang's Three-Nation Trip and APEC MeetingChinese President Jiang Zemin's visit to Laos, Cambodia and Brunei slated for November 11-18 is of great significance and will certainly promote the continuous development of friendly relations and cooperation between China and the three countries in the new century.He said that it is President Jiang's first visit to the three countries, as well as a return visit to the visits to China by heads of state of these countries, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said Tuesday. The upcoming visit is aimed at strengthening friendly and good-neighborly relations with the three countries, enhancing mutual understanding and friendship and deepening economic cooperation and trade, so as to lay a solid foundation for the development of friendly relations and cooperation between China and the three countries in the new century, the spokesman noted. During the visit, President Jiang will attend the 8th Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Informal Meeting to be held in the Brunei capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan. Zhu noted that this year's APEC meeting defines "Benefiting the Public" as its theme, and a variety of issues ranging from globalization, multilateral trading regime and sub-regional trade arrangements will be discussed at the meeting. He said that the Chinese side agrees on and supports these initiatives and hopes to further strengthen regional economic cooperation and promote regional economic growth through in-depth discussion on these issues. "We are willing to cooperate closely with APEC members in an attempt to bring success to the APEC meeting, Zhu said. |
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