China, Armenia to promote bilateral ties

Chinese Presidenet Hu Jintao (L) holds a ceremony to welcome the visiting Armenian President Robert Sedrakovich Kocharyan in Beijing, Sept. 27, 2004.

China and Armenia are willing to expand exchanges in various fields to promote comprehensive development of cooperation, according to the Sino-Armenian joint statement issued Monday.

The statement, signed by Chinese President Hu Jintao and visiting Armenian President Robert Sedrakovich Kocharyan, says both sides speak highly of the fruitful cooperation between the two countries in political, economic, trade, scientific, technological, cultural and other areas since the forging of diplomatic ties in 1992.

Both sides are satisfied with the smooth development of relations, and will continue to carry out high-level exchanges, says the statement.

The two sides encourage and support cooperation between their businesses to enhance the dimensions of their economic and trade cooperation, it says.

The two sides agree that the challenges for developing countries created by economic globalization should arouse people'sattention, and international society should take active measures to direct the development of economic globalization towards commonprosperity.

Armenia recognizes China's full market economy status, which isconducive to enhancing economic and trade ties between China and Armenia, and both sides attach great importance on developing inter-parliamentary friendly ties between the two countries, it says.

Both sides share great potential in exchanges and cooperation in such fields as science, technology, culture, education, agriculture, journalism and sports, and will encourage regional and civil institutes to make direct exchanges, says the statement.

Armenia reaffirms that the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. Armenia will not establishany official contact with Taiwan, and opposes "Taiwan Independence" in any form, says the statement, which notes that China appreciates Armenia's stance.

China supports the efforts of the international community to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh issue peacefully, and hopes that the conflict can be settled in a just and reasonable way in line with relevant international principles and norms, it says.

Both sides support the dialogue and cooperation made in international human rights and oppose double standards on the human rights or the politicalization of the issue, says the statement.

Both sides agree that the United Nations plays an important role in safeguarding world peace and security, and the principles of the UN Charter are still the basic rule for solving international affairs, says the statement, noting that the two sides are willing to promote cooperation in some major international affairs to safeguard the common interests of developing countries.

The maintenance and development of friendly cooperation between China and Armenia is not directed against any third country, and will not harm its interests, the statement says.

Kocharyan was here for a five-day state visit.