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Roundup: Frequent Visits Render Kindred Sino-Myanmar Ties Closer
"At the top of a river lies the home of me/At the other end, that of thee/Infinite feeling we harbor for each other/As from the same river we fetch drinking water/The river water flows incessantly/Drinking together in delight/So long as it does not cease/We are neighbors since yore/ Maintaining friendship/Keeping it lush and green like a mountain range/Not growing old, never like the water that flows on...."
This is a poem composed by late Chinese Marshal Chen Yi on December 14, 1957 in praise of Sino-Myanmar friendship when he visited Myanmar and is still widely recited by the peoples of the two countries.
It is a true portrayal of the Sino-Myanmar phaukphaw (fraternal) friendship.
At the invitation of Vice-Chairman of the Myanmar State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) General Maung Aye, Vice-President of China Hu Jintao pays a three-day official visit to Myanmar from July 16 to 18.
This visit will provide new opportunities for enhancing mutual understanding, extending common views and strengthening friendly cooperation between the two countries.
It will also compose a new chapter for the development of friendly Sino-Myanmar ties in the 21st century.
China and Myanmar, linked by mountains and rivers, share a common border of over 2,000 kilometers and enjoy a long-standing, time-tested friendship.
The earliest exchange between China and Myanmar dates back to the 4th century BC. Since ancient times, Myanmar people have called Chinese people "paukphaw" which means "full brothers."
The two countries established diplomatic relations on June 8, 1950. For half a century since then, their cooperation in politics, economy, culture, education and other fields has been developing steadily, based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence jointly advocated by both sides despite the great changes that have taken place in the international arena.
Both the two Asian neighbors belong to the developing world. They share an extensive common view on many major issues such as safeguarding of national sovereignty and opposition to hegemonism and power politics, and have been closely cooperative partners in international affairs.
The mutual trust and support in politics have become an important cornerstone of the two countries' friendly ties.
For the past half-century, China has always respected Myanmar's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Myanmar, on its part, has stuck to the "One China" policy, supporting China's reunification cause and recognizing the government of the People's Republic of China as China's sole legitimate government and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory.
Since the two countries forged ties, there have been frequent exchange of high-level visits between the two countries. The late Premier Zhou Enlai of China made nine visits to Myanmar, while former Myanmar leader U Ne Win went to China for 12 occasions.
In recent years, Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee Li Ruihuan, State Councilor Luo Gan, Vice-Premier Wu Bangguo and State Councilor Ismail Amat successively visited Myanmar, while Chairman of the Myanmar State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and Prime Minister Senior-General Than Shwe, SPDC Vice-Chairman General Maung Aye, SPDC First Secretary Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, Deputy Prime Minister Lieutenant-General Tin Hla and Foreign Minister U Win Aung toured China. The exchange of high level visits has given impetus to the development of the two countries' friendly ties.
Meanwhile, great achievements have also been made in the economic and trade ties between China and Myanmar during the 50 years, with the two countries successively endorsing three agreements on economic and technical cooperation.
China has aided Myanmar with dozens of construction projects involving sugar, paper, textile, plywood, thermal power, rice processing industries and including a national theater, a national stadium and a highway and railway combined bridge.
Still more projects are under implementation.
In addition to economic assistance, the two countries have also launched various forms of economic cooperation, based on the principles of equity, mutual benefit and mutual supplement of superiorities.
Chinese companies have initiated a number of contracted projects in Myanmar, with some in the form of wholly Chinese investment or joint venture. More than 10 Chinese enterprises have already been set up in Myanmar.
China has been one of the main sources of consumers goods, machinery and electrical goods for Myanmar. In 1999, their bilateral trade amounted to over 500 million US dollars.
The cultural exchange between China and Myanmar has also contributed a great deal to the development of the two countries' relations. Since 1990, the cultural exchange programs between the two countries numbered over 20 annually. These exchange programs involve arts, literature, painting, movies, education, news, sports, religion and other aspects.
Further consolidation and development of friendly relations between China and Myanmar not only conforms to the basic interests of the two countries and the two peoples, but is also beneficial to peace, stability and development in the region.
Vice-President Hu Jintao's Myanmar visit is bound to make the Sino-Myanmar phaukphaw friendship blossom even more luxuriantly.
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