Top Chinese leaders Hu Jintao and Wu Bangguo stressed cooperative relations of mutual benefit with Kuwait in Beijing Wednesday during separate meetings with visiting Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who is in Beijing on an eight-day official visit to China as guest of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

Hu said Sino-Kuwaiti relations have progressed smoothly despite international changes with frequent contacts between leaders of the two countries, sound exchanges and cooperation in various fields such as trade, economy, energy, culture, health and other fields, and support for and coordination with each other on many major international and regional issues.

The Chinese government firmly supports Kuwait's efforts to safeguard independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and appreciates Kuwait's understanding and support for China on the Taiwan issue and human rights, he said.

Sino-Kuwaiti relations enjoy sound political basis and promising prospects, Hu said. China is willing to make joint efforts with Kuwait to further explore new areas and means to

expand mutually-beneficial cooperation, so as to promote the further development of bilateral ties.

Sabah said both sides are sincere in developing bilateral ties, and the Kuwaiti government firmly adheres to the "one-China" policy.

Kuwait thanked the Chinese government and the people for their precious support during Kuwait's recovery, he said.

Kuwait has full confidence in the prospect of bilateral relations, he said, noting that the goal of his current visit is to strengthen bilateral concrete cooperation between the governments, non-governmental organizations and companies.

Sabah hoped that China could encourage Chinese enterprises to participate in the economic projects in Kuwait and the Gulf region.

Kuwait is willing to promote the comprehensive development of bilateral relations in politics, trade and economy, he said.  

Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), also pointed to the smooth development of Sino-Kuwaiti relations.

Wu said that the Chinese side will work with the Kuwaiti side to promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

He stressed that the NPC attaches importance to its relations with the Kuwaiti National Assembly, and exchanges and cooperation between legislative bodies of the two countries are conducive to the mutual understandings and friendship between the two peoples.

He said he hoped that the two legislative bodies will strengthen exchanges and cooperation in inter-parliamentary organizations.

Sabah said Kuwait hopes to build a cooperative partnership with China, hoping that the two sides concretize bilateral consensus and promote cooperation on the basis of equality and reciprocity.

He said the Kuwaiti side will strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the NPC, which is of significance for promoting bilateral cooperation.

Wen and Sabah held talks Tuesday, and the two sides signed an agreement on economic and technology cooperation. 

(Xinhua News Agency July 8, 2004)