China is willing to further strengthen its pragmatic cooperation with the Republic of Serbia, said Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan in Beijing Thursday.

During his talks with Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Zivkovic, Tang said the Chinese people and the people of Serbia and Montenegro enjoy a profound traditional friendship and that there is a solid foundation for mutual-beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

In the recent years, in-depth changes have taken place in international situation and in the domestic situation of both countries, he said, but "we have maintained stability and continuity of bilateral relations by adhering to the principles of mutual respect to sovereignty and territory integrity, equality, mutual-benefit and non-interference in each other's internal affairs."

Tang said the Republic of Serbia has been playing a crucial role in the relations between China and Serbia and Montenegro and his country is willing to reinforce the pragmatic cooperation with the Republic of Serbia.

Zivkovic said he highly praised China's tremendous successes scored in the process of reform and opening-up and congratulated China on the successful launch of its manned spacecraft.

He also thanked China for its support to Serbia and Montenegro's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Serbia and Montenegro take China for the most important cooperative partner in the Asia-Pacific region, Zivkovic said. And he reaffirmed that his country will firmly adhere to "one-China" policy and not to forge any forms of official ties with Taiwan.

(Xinhua News Agency November 7, 2003)