President of the Republic of Cyprus Tassos Papadopoulos has said in Nicosia that his country would further promote the already cordial and important relations with China.

In an exclusive written interview with Xinhua, President Papadopoulos said his upcoming visit to China would provide an opportunity to further consolidate the political cooperation between the two counties and exchange views on major international issues of common interest.

President Papadopoulos said he also viewed the visit as a chance to explore new economic and trade partnerships, and increase exchanges between the two peoples, especially in the field of tourism.

As this year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cyprus and China, Papadopoulos praised the steady and decisive development of bilateral ties in the past 35 years and put Cyprus-China relations as one of the top priories of Cyprus's policy.

"I am particularly happy to observe that the past few years have witnessed a rapid development of our traditional friendly relations in various fields, on the basis of equality and mutual respect," said the president.

At the same time, Papadopoulos noted that Cyprus and China have been increasingly supportive of one another in the United Nations.

Invited by Chinese President Hu Jintao, President of Cyprus Tassos Papadopoulos will pay a state visit to China on Dec. 4-8.

Source: Xinhua