国内英语新闻：Chinese top political advisor foresees new era in China-Romania relations

BUCHAREST, May 6 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin said here Monday that China and Romania share the same task of opening up a new era in their all-round partnership of friendship and cooperation.

    Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political consultative body, delivered a speech at a session of the Romanian Senate on Monday evening.

    In his speech, Jia explained China's policy and concept of peaceful development and mutually beneficial, win-win cooperation with other countries. He emphasized the willingness to further deepen friendship between China and Romania and advance China's relations with Central and Eastern Europe in an all-round way.

Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, delivers a speech at the Romanian Senate in Bucharest, Romania, May 5, 2008.

    Jia was warmly welcomed by Romanian Senators as he entered the meeting hall at the Parliament Palace under the escort of President Nicolae Vacaroiu.

    China and Romania enjoy a long-standing friendship. Romania is one of the first countries that recognized new China shortly after its founding. Since the two countries established diplomatic relations nearly 60 years ago, bilateral relations have been growing smoothly despite major changes in international situation and conditions in both countries. The two countries have been always supporting each other on international affairs and domestic development.

    Over the past few years, China and Romania have maintained frequent exchange of visits by high-ranking officials. Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Romania in 2004, when the two countries lift their relations to an all-round partnership of friendship and cooperation.

    "The true friendship and deep passion that the Romanian people cherish toward the Chinese people will always remain on the historical record of bilateral relations," Jia said in the speech.

    In the speech entitled "continuing the past, opening up the future and jointly creating a better tomorrow of friendship and cooperation", Jia said the two peoples have become friends of all weathers and that China-Romania relations have become an example of international relations.

    Jia put forward four proposals on further advancing bilateral links.

    First, the two countries should enhance political trust. They should continue to respect and treat each other as equals, never interfere in each other's internal affairs and pay attention to each other's concern. They should maintain high-level contact and carry out even closer exchanges and cooperation between their governments, legislatures and political parties so as to lay a solid political foundation for sustained development of bilateral links.

    Secondly, the two countries should expand trade and economic cooperation. They should expand trade and investment according to the principle of mutual complementarity, equality and mutual benefits. They should continue to give a full play to the role of their joint economic commission, encourage and support their companies to increase contact and explore new ways and methods of cooperation.

    Thirdly, the two countries should deepen cultural and humanitarian exchanges. They should continue exchanges and cooperation in such fields as culture, science, technology, education, sports, public health and tourism so as to add new content to bilateral links. They should further expand people-to-people exchanges, exchanges among local authorities and young people so as to consolidate the foundation of China-Romania friendship and add vigor to the development of bilateral links.

    Fourthly, the two countries should step up coordination and cooperation on international issues. They should join effort to build a fair, unbiased and rule-based multi-lateral system with the United Nations assuming the core role.

    Jia said China-Romania friendship is deep-rooted and fruitful and will enjoy an even better future. He called for the people of the two countries to join hands in strengthening their traditional friendship and all-round cooperation.

    Jia arrived in Bucharest Sunday for a four-day official goodwill visit to Romania. Romania is the first leg of his four-nation Europe tour, which will also take him to Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia.