The World Should Be the Multi-polar One, Jiang

Chinese President Meets German Guest

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President Jiang Zemin said Tuesday that China advocates to build up a multi-polar world. Jiang, also the chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a meeting with German Defense Minister Rudolf Scharping.

"The force of one single polar can not achieve balance and only the combination of multi-polars can ensure equilibrium," he said.

Proceeding from historic, realistic, economic, cultural and scientific perspectives, the European Union should be a major polar in the world, Jiang said.

Scharping agreed with Jiang's comments.

On the National Defence System (NMD), the anti-missile umbrella now under development by the United States, Jiang said the idea could harm world peace, development and security, sabotage global strategic balance and stability, and insert adverse impact into the international arms control and disarmament process. China "opposes to such a move," he said.

Jiang in the meeting also highly voiced the growth of state-to- state and military-to-military relations between China and Germany after the two countries forged diplomatic relations.

Mutual understanding and trust have been enhanced and the cooperation in political, economic, cultural, scientific and technological and military arenas have turned closer, he said, adding that the Chinese government has viewed the development of bilateral ties from "strategic and long-term perspectives."

China is ready to make concerted efforts with the German side so as to push forward the bilateral ties well into the new century.

In response, Scharping agreed with Jiang's description of German-China relations and hoped the existing exchanges and cooperation in political, economic and legal areas could be further expanded.

He said that China has played a responsible role in the global and regional affairs and hoped China to play a bigger role in the future.