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Ambassador: Wen's visit to Myanmar new page in bilateral ties

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-06-01 12:08

YANGON - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's forthcoming visit to Myanmar will have a profound significance on the traditional friendship between the two countries and further boost bilateral cooperative ties, said Chinese ambassador to Myanmar Ye Dabo.

Premier Wen will start a two-day visit to Myanmar on Wednesday, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Myanmar.

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During his visit, Wen will meet Myanmar's top leader Senior-General Than Shwe, Prime Minister U Thein Sein and other government officials. The two sides will sign a package of documents aimed at strengthening economic and trade cooperation, Ye said.

"We believe that Premier Wen's visit is bound to create positive and far-reaching influence on Sino-Myanmar relations and could open up a new page of Sino-Myanmar good-neighborly and friendly cooperation," he said.

China and Myanmar share a long history of friendly exchanges that can be traced back to over 2,000 years ago. In recent history, the two countries supported each other in resisting foreign invasion and fighting for national independence and liberation, Ye noted.

On June 8, 1950, Myanmar established diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China, becoming one of the first countries in the world to do so. On January 28, 1960, the two countries signed the Sino-Myanmar Friendship and Mutual Non-aggression Treaty. On October 1 the same year, the two countries also inked the Sino-Myanmar Boundary Agreement. These moves helped lay a solid foundation for friendship between the two countries, he said.

Ye said the two countries have always maintained frequent exchanges and reciprocal visits by high-level government officials, especially leaders of the two countries.

China values its traditional friendship with Myanmar, wishes to further boost cooperation in all areas and hopes that the two countries will always be good neighbors, good friends and good partners, Ye said.

He noted that the Myanmar government has always stuck to the "one China" principle, and stood by the Chinese government in dealing with major issues pertaining to China's core interests. China, for her part, has always supported the Myanmar government in its efforts to safeguard the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

China sincerely hopes Myanmar to be politically stable, democratically progressive, nationally reconciled, economically developed and socially harmonious, he said.

Ye said the two sides have closely coordinated in international and regional affairs and cooperation has been strengthened in economics and trade, culture, education, religion, military affairs as well as combating transnational crimes.

China now stands as Myanmar's third largest trading partner and investor. In 2009, bilateral trade totaled US$2.907 billion. Up to January 2010, China's investment in Myanmar amounted to US$1.848 billion, accounting for 11.5 percent of Myanmar's total foreign investment, he said.

In recent years, the two sides have expanded cooperation in the sectors of hydropower, energy, mining, communications, fishery, manufacturing and infrastructure, and have made frequent exchanges in culture, news and sports, Ye said.

"We wish Premier Wen's visit a complete success and the traditional friendship between our two countries long standing," Ye concluded.