Chinese President Hu Jintao and Spain's King Juan Carlos I met in
Beijing on Tuesday and announced that the two countries would
bolster their strategic partnership.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement read that "Hu and Juan
Carlos I agreed to work together to promote the China-Spain
relationship and thus take the all-round strategic partnership to a
new high," said on Tuesday.
During hour-long talks at in the Great Hall of the People, the
two heads of state reviewed the progress of China-Spain over the
past 34 years.
Recent years have witnessed markedly faster progress in terms of
bilateral ties, said Hu, highlighting positive areas of development
in terms of culture, education, science, technology and law
enforcement.
Hu said that the upbeat trend of the all-round strategic
partnership was a cause for optimism for the future of bilateral
ties. Hu also extended his thanks for the Spanish government's
one-China stance.
China is particularly keen to ramp up cooperation with Spain on
telecommunications, environmental protection and renewable energy.
In this light, China is seeking a balanced trade relationship with
Spain and is actively promoting two-way investment.
For his part, Juan Carlos I agreed to deepen the all-round
strategic partnership through his China trip. This is his third
state visit to China and coincides with the current "Year of Spain
in China" exchange program.
Juan Carlos I said he enthusiastically sought to forge stronger
Spain-China ties on trade, culture and global affairs.
After the talks, Hu and Juan Carlos I took in an arts exhibition
entitled "From Titian to Goya: Great Masters of the Museum of
Prado" in the National Art Museum of China in downtown Beijing, a
display of paintings from the Prado Museum in Madrid.
Juan Carlos I is due to attend more business and cultural
activities in Beijing before heading for southwest China's Sichuan
Province on Thursday.
(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2007)
