Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao pledged in Beijing Wednesday to work with the Yemeni side to expand cooperation in trade and economic areas to "serve the fundamental interests" of the two sides.  

Wen said during talks with visiting Yemeni Prime Minister Abdul Qader Bajammal, who arrived here Sunday on a four-day official visit to China, that China hopes to increase exchanges with Yemen at different levels to "increase mutual political trust."

Officials of China and Yemen signed seven documents to fix their cooperation in areas of economy, education and energy following their hour-long talks.

Chinese premier proposed in the talks that China would strengthen coordination with Yemen on international occasions and work together for regional peace and development through the mechanism of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and Secretary-General of the League of Arab States (LAS) Amr Mahmoud Moussa reached consensus to establish the Forum when Hu visited Egypt last January, aiming to raise the level of cooperation between China and the Arab countries.

Formal documents on the establishment of the Forum are scheduled to be signed during Secretary-General Moussa's visit to China.

Trade between China and the Arab world grew 10 times in the past ten years, according to China's statistics. The trade volume between China and the 22 members of the LAS reached US$25.4 billion last year, up 43 percent from a year ago.

China and Yemen achieved US$1.9 billion of two-way trade last year, up 1.6 times year on year.

The two countries have had fruitful cooperation in telecommunications, electricity, energy and infrastructure construction, Chinese premier said.

China and Yemen established full diplomatic relationship 48 years ago. Over the past years, Yemen has supported China on issues of Taiwan and human rights.

"China attaches great importance to its relationship with Yemen," Wen said. "We think that to expand our cooperative relations would serve the fundamental interests of our two countries."

In addition, Chinese premier pledged to work together with the Arab world and said China stands for an early, just and reasonable settlement of the Middle East issues.

Bajammal told Wen that his government hopes to work with China to open up a new stage in bilateral relations.

The Yemeni prime minister said Yemen had suffered a split of the country, and has a full understanding of and firmly supports China's stance on the issue of Taiwan.

(Xinhua News Agency March 30, 2004)