On June 28, 2002, President Jiang Zemin cordially met with Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase at Zhongnanhai.

Jiang extended a warm welcome to Prime Minister Nastase for his visit to China and recalled his own successful visit to Romania in 1996 with pleasure.

Jiang said that the talks between Zhu and Nastase were very good as they reached a wide-ranging consensus on expanding cooperation in trade and economic fields. He believes that bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation will be promoted to a new level through joint efforts by both sides.

He said that China and Romania are true and trustworthy friends in that they have offered each other mutual support all the time, cooperated closely and treated each other sincerely. He pointed out that there are three vital factors in the stable development of Sino-Romanian ties. First of all, both sides attaches great importance to the development of bilateral ties, look on each other as a good friend and put each other in an important place in their respective external strategies. Secondly, both countries respect and equally treat each other. Each side respects the other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and respects the developing path and internal and external policies of the other side, without interference into the other's internal affairs. Thirdly, both countries cherish traditional friendship, which is the common precious resources and wealth. Jiang concluded that both sides should view their relations from a long-term and strategic point oriented toward the new century, work in the right direction and carry on the traditional friendship from generation to generation, in order to build a beautiful future of bilateral relations.

Jiang said that both China and Romania are challenged with a common task of revitalizing economy and improving people's living standard. Peace and development remain two themes of the times. At the same time, human beings are faced up with quite a few challenges. More extensive and concrete cooperation in the international arena is urgently needed to this end. Jiang said that with regards to tackling the comman task and build their countries, it is greatly significant for China and Romania to strengthen cooperation on internatnal occassions. China is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Romania and all other countries and work to realize sustainable world peace and common prosperity, to set up a right and reasonable international order.

Nastase expressed his pleasure to meet again with President Jiang. He agreed with Jiang's comments on bilateral relations.

Nastase said that Romania-China ties have long undergone the test of time. Since long ago, the political relations between the two countries have maintained good developing momentum and satisfactory achievements have been made in exchanges and cooperation in the economic and trade field. In view of the great changes that have occurred in the international situation and both countries in the recent years, Nastase suggested that both sides should explore new ways of economic and trade cooperaion and add new contents to cooperation in this field. He said that Romania is willing to make joint efforts with the Chinese side to promote friendly cooperation in all fields including trade and economic field, so as to create prosperous economies in both countries and make benefit for the peoples.

Nastase passed on President Ion Iliescu's cordial regards to President Jiang Zemin, while Jiang thanked him and asked him to convey his cordial regards to the Romanian president.