Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Zambian counterpart
Levy Patrick Mwanawasa agreed on Saturday to strengthen the
traditional friendship and cooperation between the two
countries.
During their talks, Hu, who arrived in Lusaka earlier in the day
on a state visit to Zambia, and Mwanawasa reached important
consensus on boosting mutual understanding and trust between the
two peoples, and on opening up a bright future for bilateral
ties.
Sino-Zambian relations have developed smoothly since the two
countries established diplomatic ties 42 years ago, Hu said.
The friendship between China and Zambia, fostered by generations
of leaders, has "endured the test of changes in the international
arena and both countries' domestic situation," he added.
Nowadays, Hu said, the two countries maintain close high-level
exchanges with mutual political trust continuously enhanced.
Remarkable results have been yielded from exchanges and
cooperation in the fields of trade and economy, agriculture,
telecommunications, mining, infrastructure construction, finance,
education, health and culture, he said,
The two-way trade volume has increased rapidly in recent years,
with China becoming Zambia's third largest overseas investor, Hu
said, adding that the two countries have also supported and
coordinated with each other in international affairs.
On the Taiwan question, China appreciates the Zambian
government's unswerving adherence to the one-China policy and
support for China's great cause of national unification, said the
president.
(Xinhua News Agency February 4, 2007)
