News
| Sino-Russian collaboration in energy sector planned[2008/07/10] | |
| China and Russia are preparing a joint action plan for 2009-2012 and will speed up negotiations on the energy sector, following talks by the leaders of the two countries on the sidelines of the Group of Eight (G8) summit yesterday. President Hu Jintao said China has put forward a draft of the joint action plan. He said he hoped the two countries will carry out cross-border infrastructure construction projects and expand bilateral trade in the field of machinery and electronic products. Hu said the two sides have appointed their respective energy negotiators, adding that such discussion will be included in regular meetings between the prime ministers of the two countries. Russian president Dmitry Medvedev expressed the hope that the joint action document would be ready by next month when the two leaders meet again to discuss it during the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tajikistan, according to Russian reports. Hu also thanked the Russian government and its people again for their assistance and support following the May 12 quake in Sichuan province. "All these embody the profound friendship President Medvedev and the Russian people bear toward the Chinese people," he told his Russian counterpart. At the invitation of Medvedev, 1,000 primary and middle school students from quake-hit areas are going to Russia this month as part of relocations efforts. Japanese relations President Hu yesterday also met Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, with both leaders exchanging views on boosting the strategic and mutually beneficial relations between the two countries. During their talks, Fukuda said Japan will seek Chinese assistance in resolving the abduction issue with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as Pyongyang has not started investigating the issue and difficulties of lifting economic sanctions remain. The two sides also discussed regional and global issues. Fukuda recently showed his support for the Beijing Olympics, officially announcing that he will attend the opening ceremony of the Games next month. The meetings of the two leaders come amid a steady warming of bilateral relations over the past two years. Through a series of high-profile talks, both sides have agreed to further promote the ties to a new stage. In May, President Hu paid a historic state visit to Japan, during which the two sides signed a joint statement on the all-round promotion of strategic and mutually beneficial relations between the two nations. The statement formulates guiding principles for the long-term development of bilateral relations and maps out future prospects for China-Japan ties. Similarly, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (SDF) destroyer Sazanami visited the southern naval port of Zhanjiang last month. It was the first such visit of a Japanese navy ship to China after World War II. Canadian ties President Hu and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper yesterday exchanged views on bilateral relations and issues of common concern. The Canadian prime minister had said in April that he will not attend the Beijing Olympics, but reiterated that Ottawa will send a high-level delegation to the opening ceremony in Beijing. A recent comment in the Toronto Star criticized Harper for his ideology-based policy toward China and urged him to put aside his biases and act in Canada's long-term interests. In contrast to former Canadian prime minister Jean Chrtien, who personally headed large-scale trade delegations to China, Harper has not made enough effort to improve the bilateral relationship and has not visited China since he assumed office in 2006, the comment said. |
