China and Spain inked a dozen agreements on Thursday cementing
their cooperation in the justice, industry, tourism, finance,
seismological study, railway and civil aviation sectors.
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Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who arrived
in Beijing on Thursday on a three-day official visit, and Chinese
Premier Wen
Jiabao witnessed the signing of the agreements following their
hour-long meeting.
The two sides will strengthen political dialogue through a
mechanism between foreign ministries of the two countries,
according to one of the agreements.
Among other items agreed on, each will also establish a cultural
center in the other's country; China will buy 20 Airbus A330
jetliners.
Premier Wen also pledged that China would increase imports from
Spain.
China-Spain trade was valued at US$7.2 billion last year, up 38
percent from a year ago. Total trade volume for the first five
months of the year was US$4 billion, up 48 percent from the same
period last year.
In addition, Wen highly appreciated the Spanish government's
adherence to one-China policy and its stance to oppose "Taiwan
independence".
For his part, Zapatero stressed that Spain wants to be a friend
of China, and that it supports China's economic development and
national reunification.
Zapatero added that Spain hopes to increase consultations with
China on major regional and international issues, and upgrade the
level of economic cooperation, and that Spain would help promote
the development of the EU-China relationship.
(Xinhua News Agency July 22, 2005)