Upon President Hu Jintao's conclusion of his state visits to Thailand, Australia and New Zealand, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing received an interview of journalists accompanying Hu's visits, saying that Hu's visits are crowned with a satisfactory success.

Li said that President Hu paid state visits to the three countries from Oct.17 to 27, before and after attending the 11thinformal Economic Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) held in Bangkok. Li said that the visits to the three countries are the first by a Chinese head of state since 1999 and are aimed at increasing understanding, enhancing friendship, broadening cooperation and fostering common prosperity and in order to promote overall cooperation between China and the three countries. He added that Hu's 10-day visits registered fruitful results.

First, the visits show to the world again that the new Chinese leadership is steadfast in furthering the reform and opening up. During his visits, the president briefed the leaders of the three countries and public figures there about China's latest economic and social developments, the target of building a well-off society in an all-round way and the focus of China's reform and opening-up policy in the next few years. He also expounded on China's independent foreign policy of peace, stressing that China would pursue the policy of treating neighbors as friends and partners, maintaining long-term friendly relations with ASEAN and Oceanian countries, following the principle of mutual benefit and win-win for all. The visits have helped deepen the three countries' understanding of China's internal and foreign policy and development trend, and expanded common ground and enhanced the friendship between them.

Second, Hu's visits have also increased political mutual trust between China and the three countries. President Hu warmly praised the good developing momentum of relations between China and the three countries in the recent years and stressed that the new Chinese leadership attaches great importance to developing friendly cooperation with the three. During his visits, Hu proposed that China and Thailand should develop all-round cooperation of good neighborliness and mutual trust. He also put forward principles and blueprints for China's all-round cooperative relations with Australia and New Zealand. These have drawn positive responses from leaders and other personnel of the three countries. The three countries spoke highly of the fact that Hu paid the visits at invitation soon after he took office. Thai leaders said Hu's visit and his proposals are of great importance to promoting strategic cooperation between the two countries. President Hu, who delivered a speech at the Federal Parliament of Australia at the joint invitation of Australian Senate and Parliament, became the first head of state of Asian countries to address Australia's parliament in more than 100 years. Australian and New Zealand leaders said that Hu's trip is historic and will play a positive role in strengthening mutual trust between China and their countries in the political field.

Third, President Hu came up with new ideas for increasing economic and trade cooperation between China and these countries. Hu proposed that China and Thailand strengthen macroscopical planning and expand economic and trade exchange. He also said that through the new mechanism of economic and trade cooperation at deputy prime ministers' level, and with the implementation of a zero-tariff regime for imports of vegetables and fruits as a starting point, both sides should strive to push forward the process of building a China-ASEAN free trade zone. He also said that China is ready to expand cooperation with Australia and New Zealand on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and non-discrimination, maintaining long-term and stable cooperative relations with them in the fields of energy, mining, agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry, to offset each other with advantages and realize mutual benefit and win-win situation. The leaders of the three countries all said that China's rapid development will provide a vast market and tremendous opportunities for cooperation. Thailand said it would push ahead with the building of a China-ASEAN free trade zone. Australia spoke highly of a series of bilateral documents on cooperation, saying that it will further broaden the long-term cooperation in the energy sector between the two countries. New Zealand said it looks forward to having closer and more effective economic and trade ties with China. President Hu also attended signing ceremonies of a series of documents on China-Thailand, China-Australia and China-New Zealand cooperation, which greatly inspired people from circles of industry, trade, commerce, culture, science and technology and education.

Fourth, consultation between China and these countries on regional and international affairs has been further strengthened as a result of Hu's visit. Hu said that the unity and authority of the UN Security Council should be maintained and disputes between states be settled through peaceful means. China is ready to enhance communication and coordination with the three countries in such organizations as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization and the APEC forum, in joint efforts to maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large and promote common development and prosperity. The three countries highly lauded China's efforts to seek a peaceful settlement of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, agreeing that China is an important force for safeguarding peace and stability in the world.

Li summarized Hu's visits as successful visits of furthering friendship and enhancing cooperation, of great significance in promoting the cause of peace and development in the Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world and establishing a favorable international environment for China' drive to build a well-off society in an all-round way.