On July 26, visiting Vice-President Hu Jintao met with Belarusian Prime Minister Vladimir Yermoshin in the government building. The two sides held friendly talks.


Vice-President Hu conveyed to Yermoshin the cordial greetings and good wishes from Premier Zhu Rongji. He said that China and Belarus have a traditional friendship and maintain close exchanges like relatives though the two countries are separated afar. China and Belarus face both opportunities and serious challenges at the turn of the century. To consolidate and strengthen the friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries conforms to the fundamental interests of the two nations and contributes to peace, stability and prosperity in the world.


Vice-President Hu also said that China attaches importance to relations with Belarus and views it as a trusted friend and partner. During the 8 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Belarus, the general development of bilateral relations has been at a satisfactory level. The two sides have made remarkable achievements in their friendly cooperation in political, economic and trade, scientific and technological, cultural, education and other fields. He stressed that noteworthy progress has been made in bilateral economic cooperation and trade. There is great potential and complementarity in the two economies. It is hoped that the two sides can make joint efforts to bring bilateral economic cooperation and trade to a new level.


Yermoshin asked Vice-President Hu to transfer his cordial greetings to Premier Zhu Rongji. He said that Belarus and China have always supported each other. The traditional friendship between the two peoples has a solid foundation. Therefore, the two sides have all the conditions to develop bilateral friendly and cooperative relations, particularly in the economic sphere. The two countries should make joint efforts to meet the opportunities and challenges in the upcoming new century.


On the same day, Vice-President Hu also met with Shipuk, speaker of the House of Republics (upper chamber), and Malofeyev, speaker of the House of Representatives (lower chamber). He transferred to them the cordial greetings and good wishes from Chairman Li Peng. They returned the kindness to Chairman Li and the National People's Congress of China. The two sides briefed each other on their respective domestic political situations and economic development. The two sides agreed that all countries have the right to choose their social systems, economic mechanisms and roads to development according to their own national conditions. China and Belarus should strengthen mutual understanding and support and learn from each other so as to deepen the all-round friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries in the new century through joint efforts and benefit the two peoples. The two speakers reiterated their support to the one China policy and totally excluded the possibility of having any official exchanges with Taiwan.


Vice-President Hu noted that the parliament contacts remains a main part of the two countries' bilateral relations and a main way for the two nations in promoting friendship and expanding cooperation. It is hoped that the two parliaments should enhance their ties to construct a solid bridge for the friendship between the two peoples for generations to come.