Solid ties between China and the United States will benefit both countries, Premier Zhu Rongji said yesterday.
Zhu made the remarks during a meeting in Beijing with Joe Biden, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the US Senate, and other US senators.
Zhu briefed the US senators on China's peaceful foreign policy and its progress and reforms over the past 20 years as well as its opening up to the outside world.
Zhu stressed that China is focusing its attention on the development of its economy, safeguarding and realizing national reunification and maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large.
"China cannot, and will not, be a threat to the United States or any other countries in the world," Zhu said. "China and the United States should co-operate."
Biden spoke of his admiration for China's history, culture and people. Due to a lack of exchanges between peoples of the two countries, he said, there was a consequent lack of understanding of one another.
He said China's importance in the world is rising and that US-China relations are important to both countries and the rest of the world.
He said the US hopes to develop mutually trustful and co-operative relations with China.
Premier Zhu yesterday also met Pakistani Minister of Finance, Shaukat Aziz, and Minister for Communications, Javed Ashraf, who arrived on Tuesday as guests of Chinese Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation, Shi Guangsheng.
Zhu said that China hopes the China-Pakistan co-operative project at a seaport in southern Pakistan can be launched as soon as possible.
Zhu said the Chinese Government and people hope that the economy of Pakistan develops faster, people's living standards improve more quickly, and China-Pakistan co-operation grows even stronger.
The Chinese premier visited Pakistan in May this year and decided to co-operate on the Gwadar Port project with the Pakistani leaders. Following the visit, senior officials from China have conducted a series of follow-up activities for the project.
Aziz gave to Zhu a letter written by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. Minister Ashraf said the two sides have co-operated very well on the project and the Pakistani side agrees with the fund-raising plan put forward by China.
(China Daily 08/10/2001)
