Chinese late Premier Zhou Enlai was paid homage on Thursday in the Lecture Hall of the Romanian Academy Library in Bucharest, on the occasion of the celebration of 110 years since his birth.

Zhou Enlai was a Premier and Foreign Affairs Minister of the People's Republic of China and is considered the founder of the country's diplomacy and also a passionate promoter of peace in the world, said Florea Dumitrescu, President of the Romanian Association for Friendly Relations with China.

Being the founder of many principles in terms of regulation of international relations, Zhou Enlai paid two visits to Romania, in March 1965 and in July 1966. The participants in Thursday's event also highlighted the role played by Zhou Enlai in the development of the Romanian-Chinese bilateral relations.

Chinese Ambassador Liu Zengwen said, "Zhou Enlai felt himself a friend of the Romanians, with his contributions to the development of the bilateral relations between our two countries having been imprinted forever in the memory of both Romania and China."

Romanian Academy President Ionel Haiduc stressed that the homage paid to Zhou Enlai marks an important stage of the relation of friendship between the two states.

"The Romanian Academy is well aware of its role and of the significance of such relations of friendship between Romania and China," Haiduc said.

The participants in the event highlighted also the special role played by Zhou Enlai in the evolutions in his country and in China 's opening to the world, by establishing diplomatic relations with the United States, as well as by cultivating political dialogue with other countries with different social systems on all continents.

(Xinhua News Agency March 14, 2008)