Hu kicks off 3-nation tour ( 2003-10-17 01:02) (China Daily)
President Hu Jintao arrived in Bangkok on Friday to kick off a three-nation
tour which will also include visits to Australia and New Zealand.
"China is willing to push the overall bilateral ties with Thailand, which are
based on good neighbourliness and mutual trust, to a higher level,'' Hu said in
a speech at the airport.
In his meeting with Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit on Friday,
Hu said China and Thailand are close neighbours and reliable partners who have
forged a brotherhood based on mutual respect, sincere treatment and mutual
assistance over the years.
The Thai King said he was pleased to see that bilateral ties across the board
is closer and more smooth than any time in the history.
Prior to Hu's visit, the Chinese Government has sent two pandas to the
Thailand for a decade-long exchange in celebration of the Thai King's birthday.
The Chinese president also met with Uthai Pimchaichon, president of National
Assembly of Thailand on Friday. Both sides agreed that closer bilateral
parliamentary exchanges are conducive to the enhancement of mutual understanding
and traditional friendship between the two peoples.
Hu will also attend the 11th Economic Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific
Economic Co-operation (APEC) in Bangkok on October 20-21.
Officially launched in 1989, APEC is the premier forum facilitating economic
growth, co-operation, trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region.
Hu is expected to meet US President George W. Bush, Russian President
Vladimir Putin, President of the Republic of Korea Roh Moo-hyun and Japanese
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders'
Meeting.
The 21 member economies of APEC account for a combined GDP of US$19 trillion
and 47 per cent of world trade. Representing the most economically dynamic
region in the world, APEC has generated nearly 70 per cent of global economic
growth in its first 10 years.
In 1994 at Bogor, Indonesia, leaders of the APEC member economies adopted the
`Bogor Goals' of free and open trade and investment for developed economies by
2010 and for developing economies by 2020.
Thailand, host of the 2003 APEC summit, set the central theme for this year
as "A world of differences: partnership for the future.''
Bringing together individual strengths of all APEC members to raise regional
economic prosperity and making a meaningful contribution towards the World Trade
Organization process are the overarching goals of this year's APEC meeting.
As the APEC region moves towards the Bogor Goals the diversity of the APEC
region has been identified as its strength for the future.