On the afternoon of March 24, 2002, Premier Zhu Rongji met with Joseph Kabila, president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in a cordial atmosphere at Zhongnanhai.

Zhu extended welcome to Kabila for his visiting China, saying that the Chinese side believes his Excellency's current visit will play a significant part in promoting the further development of the bilateral friendly relations of cooperation.

Zhu said China and the DRC have a deep tradition of friendship and for a long time the bilateral friendly and cooperative relations have seen steady development. In recent years, the two sides have conducted fruitful cooperation in all areas, and understood and sympathized with each other in international affairs.

Zhu pointed out that China has always attached importance to friendly cooperation with the DRC in all areas. Although the cooperaiton in the trade and economy field has been affected by the armed conflicts in the Great Lake area in the recent years, the fact that the DRC has aboundant resources and a great potential for development entails a vast prospect in the cooperation in trade and economy between the two countries. The Chinese side is willing to encourage capable Chinese enterprises to make mutually beneficial cooperation with the Congo side and participate in the economic reconstruction in Congo.

Zhu noted that both China and the DRC are developing countries. The two have many common tasks in various aspects such as safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity, developing the economy and improving people's life. It is in the basic interests of the two peoples to strengthen and develop the friendly relations of the two countries and intensify the bilateral cooperation in various feilds and the international affairs. The Chinese side is ready to elevate the friendly relations of cooperation to a new high through joint efforts with the Congo side.

Kabila, on his part, extended his thanks for the hospitality of the Chinese side as well as the selfless support the Chinese government and the Chinese people have offered to the DRC in the long term.

Kabila said that the DRC people would like to see further development of the existing friendly relations with China, and one of the objectives of his visit is to join with China to explore approaches to promoting economic and technological cooperation between the DRC and China.

Kabila also said that the two sides signed agreement on cooperation the previous day, which, he believes, could intensify the friendly exchanges between the two governments and the two peoples and prompt the development of relations between China and Central African. Kabila welcomed more Chinese enterprises to participate in the DRC's reconstruction and development.

Kabila also reiterated that the DRC would adhere to the one China policy and it was willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation on the issue of human rights.