Chinese Ambassador Hails "Steady" Growth of Sino-Egyptian TiesChinese Ambassador to Egypt Liu Xiaoming has said that Sino-Egyptian ties have witnessed a "steady" growth since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1956.During an interview with Egypt's official Nile TV late Monday, Liu said that "currently, China and Egypt have very good relations." Sino-Egyptian ties have developed steadily thanks to the care and support of three generations of the Chinese leadership and successive Egyptian leaders, he said. What is more significant is that Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak decided to forge strategic and cooperative relations between the two countries during Mubarak's seventh visit to China in 1999, Liu said. The decision has raised bilateral relations to a new stage, Liu said, adding that the two countries have since then developed "very strong political relations" and the two presidents have very good personal relationship. While looking forward to President Mubarak's eighth visit to China next year, the first in the new century, Liu said that during the upcoming visit, the two presidents will review the achievements that the two countries have scored in bilateral cooperation in various fields since 1999. He expected that a series of important agreements will be signed during the visit in an effort to further promote cooperation in the fields of the economy, trade, investment, education and culture. Liu said that the visit will provide the guidance for the growth of bilateral relations, adding that there has been a mechanism of political consultations between foreign ministries of the two countries, in which the two foreign ministers consult on security and other issues on the global affairs at least once a year. Liu stressed that China has always supported the just struggle of Arab nations for legitimate rights and the establishment of a Palestinian state. As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, China has been playing an active role in ending the Palestinian-Israeli violence and restarting their peace talks. |
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