Romania will continue to firmly support the stance of China on the issues of Taiwan and Tibet, a senior member of the Romanian Senate said in Beijing Wednesday.  

Ghiorghi Prisacaru, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Romanian Senate, made the remarks during a meeting with Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a top advisory body of China.

The one-China policy is a principle of Romania, and all political parties in Romania have a consensus to develop relations with China as a "strategic choice," Prisacaru said.

China and Romania established diplomatic relations 55 years ago. Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Romanian counterpart Ion Iliescu signed a joint statement last year, agreeing to further improve exchanges and cooperation in politics, economy, trade, culture, education, tourism and science and technology.

During the president's visit last year, Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer China ZTE Corporation signed a US$94-million contract with Romania's POS telecom, to help Romania build a nationwide telecom network.

The Romanian senator praised China for its "huge progress" in politics, economy, science and technology and social matters over the past decades.

The Romania senate delegation arrived in China Tuesday, and it is the first Romanian delegation to visit China after it joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) early this month.

Also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Jia Qinglin said China attaches great importance to its relations with Romania and hopes to cultivate the friendly relationship.

On the same day, Gu Xiulian, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, met with the Romanian delegation. Gu visited Romania last month.

(Xinhua News Agency April 15, 2004)