Chinese and Moldovan leaders exchanged greetings on Wednesday on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In a congratulatory message to his Moldovan counterpart, Vladimir Voronin, Chinese President Jiang Zemin said the establishment of Sino-Moldovan diplomatic ties on January 30, 1992 opened a new chapter for the two countries in developing friendly cooperative relations.

During the past decade, the two countries have understood and supported each other in safeguarding national independence, state sovereignty and territorial integrity and in dealing with other major issues of national interests, said the Chinese president.

He said the two countries have maintained close and fruitful exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and they have established a new type of state-to-state relationship based on political equality and mutual trust, mutually beneficial economic cooperation and mutual support in world affairs.

Jiang stressed that a comprehensive, lasting and healthy development of bilateral ties can be realized only by adhering to the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and non-interference in each other's internal affairs.

It serves the basic interests of the two countries and two peoples to further Sino-Moldovan ties and enhance bilateral friendship in the new century, he said.

In a separate message to Moldovan Parliament Speaker Eugenia Ostapciuc, Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, said the Sino-Moldovan friendship, with a wide-ranging social foundation, is supported by the two peoples, and the Chinese people have always regarded the Moldovan people as reliable partners and close friends.

In his message to Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, said that since China and Moldova established diplomatic relations 10 years ago, the two countries have consistently strengthened exchanges and cooperation in such fields as politics, economy, trade, science and technology, culture, education and health care.

He expressed the belief that mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Moldova, the two countries which have great potential and broad prospective for further cooperation, will be fruitful through unremitting efforts by both sides.

Voronin, in his message to Jiang, said he is pleased to see the smooth development of bilateral relations on the basis of equality, respect and mutual trust since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Jiang's visit to Moldova in July 2001 has further strengthened the friendship between the two countries, he said.

Ostapciuc and Tarlev sent messages to their Chinese counterparts separately on the occasion.

Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan and Moldovan Foreign Minister Nocolae Dudau also exchanged congratulatory messages.

(People's Daily January 31, 2002)