On May 21, 2003, Vice Foreign Minister Liu Guchang
held a briefing to foreign press on President Hu Jintao's
upcoming visits to Europe and Asia in the Press Hall of the
Foreign Ministry building.
Liu briefed the
press on the agenda and significance of President Hus
trip. He said that at the invitations of President Vladimir
Vladimirovich Putin of the Russian Federation, President
Jacques Chirac of the Republic of France, President
Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev of the Republic of
Kazakhstan and President Nachagyn Bagabandy of Mongolia,
President Hu Jintao of the Peoples Republic of China
will pay state visits to the Russian Federation, the
Republic of Kazakhstan and Mongolia from May 26th to June
5th 2003. During his tour, he will also attend the third
Summit Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
(SCO) to be held in Moscow, the celebrations of the
tri-centennial anniversary of the establishment of the city
of St. Petersburg and the leaders informal dialogue
meeting between the North and the South to be held at Evian,
France. The trip will be the first since Hu took office as
president and of great significance. The visits are
important in terms of bilateral and multilateral diplomacy,
Chinas relations with neighboring, major developed and
developing countries, and fully implementing China's foreign
policy.
Liu said that Russia will be President
Hu's first stop. During the visit, he will hold talks with
Russian President Putin, and meet with the Russian premier
and parliamentary leaders for an in-depth exchange of views
so as to promote the further development of China-Russia
relations. The two heads of state will sign a joint
statement based on the achievement of the meeting.
Afterwards, Hu will attend the third Summit Meeting of the
SCO member nations to be held in Moscow. It will be the
first time for President Hu to attend the meeting. At the
summit, the leaders will adopt a joint statement, and
approve a series of cooperation documents. The meeting will
be a symbol that the SCO has marched from the initial stage
to the period of steady development. Meanwhile, President Hu
will attend the 300th anniversary celebrations of St.
Petersburg at the invitation of President Putin. Hu will
convey the friendship and good wishes of the Chinese people
to the people of St.Petersburg. The Chinese side has donated
a Chinese garden named "Garden of Friendship" as a
congratulatory gift to the city for the grand
occasion.
Liu said that President Hu was also
invited by French President Jacques Chirac to attend the
leaders' informal dialogue meeting between the North and the
South in Evian, France on June 1. During the stay in France,
President Hu will hold a bilateral meeting with his French
counterpart. After the France trip, President Hu will pay
state visits to Kazakhstan and Mongolia. It will be an
important link for Chinas foreign policy for
neighboring countries, which features friendship and
partnership with neighbors.
When asked about
whether President Hu will have bilateral meetings with other
state leaders including US President Bush during his trip,
Liu said that Hu will have extensive contacts with foreign
leaders while attending celebrations of St. Petersburg and
the leaders informal dialogue meeting between the
North and the South. There will be a summit between Chinese
and US leaders, which the two countries attach great
importance to. The two leaders will exchange views on
bilateral relations and major international and regional
issues.
When asked about whether Chinas
participation in the leaders informal dialogue meeting
between the North and the South means a departure from
Chinas policy of handling relations with the Group of
8, Liu said that the international community is currently
facing many serious challenges, including weak recovery of
the global economy, increased uncertainties such as war and
epidemic, the widening gaps between the North and the South,
and the difficulties facing the developing countries. The
Chinese side deems it of positive significance to hold the
leaders' informal dialogue meeting between the North and the
South as is initiated by French President Chirac, which will
be vital for deepening international cooperation and seeking
a joint solution to major global development issues. China
attaches importance to the role of the Group of 8 in
international affairs, and would like to maintain contact
and dialogue with the Group of 8. Chinas policy
towards the Group of 8 remains unchanged.
Liu
also took questions concerning the DPRK nuclear issue, the
signing of oil pipeline agreements between China and Russia,
the anti-terrorism mechanism of Shanghai Cooperation
Organization, the location of its secretariat and the
nominee of its Secretary-General, and the measures against
the Chinese delegation takes before the trip.
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