Roundup: Li Peng's Tour of Three Asian Nations Successful

Chinese top legislator Li Peng's official goodwill visit to Cambodia, Brunei and South Korea has achieved the goal of deepening friendship, increasing mutual-understanding and strengthening cooperation between China and the three nations.

Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC) wound up his 10-day trip and returned home Sunday.

Maintaining an independent and peaceful diplomatic policy and strengthening friendly relations with neighboring countries is vital and significant for China to enjoy a peaceful environment for its economic and social development.

China has traditional friendship with the three countries. To consolidate and strengthen good neighborly and friendly relations with them is an important part of China's diplomacy in the 21st century.

During the trip, Li met top leaders of parliaments, governments, political parties and business communities and discussed with them ways of enhancing exchanges and cooperation in the new century, and issues of common concern.

The leaders of the three nations, who attach great importance to expanding their countries' ties with China, have accorded Li grand and cordial reception. They reached consensus on many bilateral, regional and international issues in talks with Li Peng.

The leaders said Li's trip to their countries will further strengthen the friendly cooperation, and deepen the traditional friendship between their countries and China.

China boasts traditional friendship with Cambodia since the ancient times. In recent years, the Sino-Cambodian ties have gained momentum of further development due to frequent exchanges of visits by high-ranking officials between the two nations.

During Li's Cambodian visit, the two sides pledged to sincerely implement a Chinese-Cambodian joint statement issued last November when Chinese President Jiang Zemin visited Cambodia, and to further boost economic and trade cooperation and coordination in regional and international affairs.

At the time of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Brunei this year, the Sino-Brunei relationship has reached a new high. The bilateral relations have developed smoothly and friendly exchanges and cooperation between the two Asian nations have been expanded to all sectors.

In Brunei, Li reiterated that all countries, big or small, are equal in the international community and China will advance its good neighborly, friendly and cooperative relations with Brunei on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence.

Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said Brunei and China should work together to consolidate the existing bilateral relations and to make contributions to peace and development in East Asia and Southeast Asia.

China and South Korea are not only close in geography, but also similar in culture and psychology.

The Sino-South Korean ties have smoothly grown and great achievements have been made in all fields since the two nations established diplomatic ties in 1992.

During Li's visit to South Korea, leaders of the two sides spoke highly of the bilateral ties, and vowed to push the cooperative partnership onto a new stage featuring all-round cooperation.

In Seoul, Li Peng also praised the Kim Dae-jung government's reconciliation policy, hoping that the inter-Korean reconciliation could be further promoted.

South Korean leaders commended China's constructive role in the inter-Korean reconciliation process and expressed their hope that China will continue to play its important role in the realization of independent and peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula.

During the trip, Li and the leaders of the three countries have reached common grounds on many issues. They have promised to further cooperate and coordinate with China in regional and international affairs.

The leaders said the existing friendly and good-neighborly ties between their nations and China will develop further in the new century.

After ending his 10-day trip, Li Peng said he had been deeply impressed with the three nations' enthusiasm and friendship toward China.

Leaders of China and the three countries are confident that through joint efforts, China will always be good neighbors and good friends of Cambodia, Brunei and South Korea and they will work together to make new contributions to promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Asian region, said the NPC chairman.






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