China would like to maintain high-level exchanges with Zambia to deepen mutual understanding and trust as well to broaden partnership in economic and trade areas, said President Hu Jintao Thursday when meeting with Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa.  

Sino-Zambian relations have weathered a variety of external and internal hurdles, said Hu. The two nations have supported each other and cooperated well in dealing with important world issues.

Hailing China as a good friend of Zambia, President Mwanawasa said that Zambian people will never forget that it was the Chinese people who offered friendship just after Zambia had won independence and suffered from some serious difficulties.

The construction of the Tanzania-Zambia railway, to which Chinese government has given great assistance, symbolizes the profound friendship between Zambians and Chinese people, said the Zambian president.

Hu called that the two nations should enhance exchange and coordination in solving world affairs by taking advantage of the consultation mechanism established by the foreign ministries of the two countries.

He expressed appreciation and gratitude for the Zambian Government's stand of insisting one-China policy.

Fully agreeing with Hu's opinion of enhancing bilateral cooperation, President Mwanawasa said the two nations could engage in partnerships in all kinds of fields because Chinese enterprises have considerable resources, advanced technology and experience in tapping the tourism, manufacturing, and agricultural resources of Zambia.

China maintains close ties with many African countries, Hu said. Chinese leadership should further promote friendship with Africa and seek alliances in all fields with African nations.

The Zambian president spoke highly of China's role in coping with international and regional conflicts as well in safeguarding the interests of developing countries and the two nations have similar stances and opinions when dealing with international and regional events.

Zambia attached great importance to the upcoming Second China-Africa cooperation meeting at the ministerial level, Mwanawasa said.

After their meeting, the two leaders also participated in the signing of economic and technological partnership agreement between the two governments.

The Zambian president, who arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, will also visit Qingdao in Shandong Province, Changzhou in Jiangsu Province and Shenzhen in Guangdong Province during his week long visit.

(China Daily November 7, 2003)