Premier Wen Jiabao's upcoming European visit will further promote friendship and pragmatic cooperation with Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, Foreign Ministry officials said Monday.
Wen will pay official visits to Iceland, Sweden and Poland and attend the opening ceremony of Hannover Messe 2012, which will be held in Germany from April 20 to 27, Vice Foreign Minister Song Tao said at a press briefing.
During his stay in Poland, Wen will meet with the leaders of several CEE countries and attend the China-Central and Eastern European Countries Economic and Trade Forum, Song said.
China shares a "traditional friendship" with CEE countries, Song said, adding that cooperation and friendship have been the cornerstone of ties between China and CEE nations over the last six decades.
Song praised the development of relations between the two sides, stating that they have featured increased exchanges and fruitful cooperation in multiple areas.
It is the common will of both sides to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation against the background of the global financial crisis and the eurozone sovereign debt crisis, he said.
China values its friendship with CEE nations and will continuously expand and enhance pragmatic cooperation with these countries for the benefit of the people of both sides, he said.
Song said friendly cooperation between China and CEE nations is a significant and integral part of Sino-European relations.
Vice Minister of Commerce Jiang Yaoping said CEE nations are emerging markets in Europe and their economies have maintained good development as the European integration process accelerates.
"Although the European debt crisis has affected some CEE nations, China still sees good development potential in their economies," Jiang said.
He said CEE nations enjoy vast market potential, a superior geographical position, a good industrial foundation, a high-quality labor force and exuberant infrastructure construction demand.
"China and CEE nations share great cooperation potential alongside their economic transformation and industrial restructuring," he said.
Jiang said the Chinese government attaches great importance to developing economic and trade relations with CEE nations.
"China is willing to make joint efforts with all sides to actively promote investment and trade facilitation and cultivate a good environment for the sustainable and healthy development of Sino-European trade relations," Jiang said.
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