Interfax's Interview

 "I'm happy to meet with you anew, Mr. Abdullin, and I am glad that you have arrived in China again for this interview" Hu told Renat Abdullin.

 Commenting on prospects for developing the strategic partnership between Russia and China, Hu said that China is prepared to deepen mutual understanding with Russia and to develop bilateral relations in all areas.

 China is ready "to deepen political mutual trust and to continue offering mutual support in issues of key interests to our two countries," he said.

 Russia and China should "intensify their practical cooperation in the economy, the energy sector, science, technologies and other areas in the spirit of mutual benefit," he said.

 Major tasks facing Russia and China involve "stepping up our countries' strategic cooperation in international and regional affairs, broadening their contribution to peace and general development," promoting their exchanges and cooperation in humanitarian issues, and expanding mutual understanding and friendship between the two countries and their peoples, he said.

 Commenting on today's situation in Russian-Chinese relations, Hu said that they "are at their highest."

 Beijing and Moscow are "closely cooperating in crucial international problems such as the nuclear problem of the Korean Peninsula and the Iranian nuclear problem, which certainly plays a serious role in maintaining peace and stability around the world," the Chinese president said.

 Hu said he is convinced that his March 26-28 official visit to Russia will help further the two countries' partnership and strategic cooperation.

 "I am convinced that, if joint efforts are made, the upcoming visit will score considerable successes and give a fresh impetus to further development and expansion of relations between the two countries and their movement along the path of practical cooperation," Hu said in an interview with the heads of Russian media groups on Tuesday.

 "2007 is a landmark year for the Russian-Chinese strategic partnership because these relations will enter their second decade. It also marks a new stage in their development," he said, underscoring the importance of the Year of Russia in China and the Year of China in Russia in this process.

 Hu said he would meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss ways to broaden the two countries' relations and to exchange views on other issues of mutual interest.

The trilateral cooperation between China, Russia and India is not directed against any third parties, Chinese leader Hu Jintao said in an interview with a group of Russian journalists.

 "The trilateral cooperation between China, Russia and India is not directed against any third countries whatsoever. It will benefit the development of the three countries themselves as well as peace and development in the region and the rest of the world," he said. China will remain committed to the policy of openness and economic reforms, said Chinese President Hu Jintao.

 "I would like to reiterate that China will continue to pursue both reforms and openness," the Chinese president told Russian journalists on Tuesday ahead of his visit to Moscow.

 "The investment climate in China will be improving with the continuous economic development. Foreign investors will have more opportunities to invest and cooperate with Chinese partners," Hu said.

 According Hu, a total of 590,000 enterprises with foreign capital have been created in the 29 years that the policy of openness has been in place, with overall foreign investment exceeding $700 billion.

 Some 480 of the world's 600 largest companies have a presence in China, he said.

 "Since joining the WTO, China has continuously opened its market as a part of its undertaken obligations. As of now access to processing industries in China has fully been guarantee; more than 100 out of 160 service and trade industries under WTO classification have been created in China, while China's level of openness is close to that of developed countries," the Chinese president said.

 China favors active investment cooperation with Russia, Hu said.

 "China welcomes the growing influx of Russian capital and the creation of Russian enterprises in China," he said in Beijing on Tuesday at a meeting with a group of Russian journalists ahead of his visit to Russia on March 26-28.

 He said that by the end of 2006 Russian companies had invested more than $600 million in China.

 "Both the Chinese and Russian economies have been developing at a high speed in the past few years which is favorable for trade and economic cooperation between our countries," Hu said.

 He said there is a good potential for cooperation in such spheres as the development of energy resources, aerospace, nuclear power engineering, machine building, high tech and others.

 He said many Chinese companies are interested in cooperation with Russia in the production of consumer electronics, in car production and assembly, the construction of infrastructure facilities and the establishment of special economic zones.

 "On its own part, our government is encouraging and supporting leading Chinese companies wishing to establish mutually beneficial cooperation with Russian partners and at the same time counts on the further improvement of the investment environment in Russia, on a more open market," he said.

 China welcomes broadening cooperation between Chinese and Russian mass media, Hu said.

 "If friendship is to be passed on from one generation to another and to be deepened, our two nations need to be fully and reliably informed about their countries' development and enormous change over the past few years," he said.

 "We attach great and exceptional importance to the mass media in this respect. We encourage and support exchanges and cooperation between our countries' mass media in all forms," the Chinese leader said.

 Hu said: hopefully, "Russian journalists will produce more on-the- spot and objective reports about China."

 Asked whether he is an Internet user, Hu said, "I personally prefer to use the Internet to see what is going on in China and abroad, and to learn people's criticism of our work and their proposals. We could fully use the Internet to broaden ties and understanding between the peoples of China and Russia."

 The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is working on a legal document to admit new members, he said.

 "Some countries have already expressed the wish to join the SCO. This requires a consensus decision on the part of all SCO member-states. The organization is now drafting a document on the admission of new members, and evidently such issues in general can be comprehensively considered only after work on the document is completed," he said.

 "SCO member-states as good neighbors and important partners for each other are demonstrating political will to strengthen cooperation and have a solid foundation for that. There is an enormous potential for cooperation and good prospects in various directions," Hu said.

 He said SCO member-states have concentrated on practical cooperation in security, the economy and humanitarian sphere and efforts for the benefit of their nations.

 The Chinese leader reminded reporters that SCO members are cooperating in strengthening peace, security and confidence-building in the region, jointly resisting drug trafficking, illicit arms trade and cross-border crime, strengthening regional economic cooperation, promoting the formation of favorable conditions for trade and investment, organizing interaction in science, health care, culture, sports and travel.

 China will remain committed to the policy of openness and economic reforms, Hu said.
 "I would like to reiterate that China will continue to pursue both reforms and openness," the Chinese president said.

 "The investment climate in China will be improving with the continuous economic development. Foreign investors will have more opportunities to invest and cooperate with Chinese partners," Hu said.

 According Hu, a total of 590,000 enterprises with foreign capital have been created in the 29 years that the policy of openness has been in place, with overall foreign investment exceeding $700 billion.

 Some 480 of the world's 600 largest companies have a presence in China, he said.

 "Since joining the WTO, China has continuously opened its market as a part of its undertaken obligations. As of now access to processing industries in China has fully been guarantee; more than 100 out of 160 service and trade industries under WTO classification have been created in China, while China's level of openness is close to that of developed countries," the Chinese president said.

 The measures recently taken by the Chinese authorities have helped prevent overheating of the economy, Hu said.

 "Comparatively high growth and efficiency rates, as well as low prices, have remained features of the Chinese economy over the past year. The beginning of the eleventh five-year plan was successful. GDP stood at 20.94 trillion yuan, up by 10.7%. This index has remained at approximately 10% over the past for years, while significant inflation was not registered in the country," the Chinese president said.

 "People's incomes are growing at rather high rates, people's life has significantly improved. As far as such topical issues as excessively high rates of investment growth and growing loans are concerned, the government has put in place timely measures to increase macroeconomic regulation in such areas as common land planning, finance, market access and consumption," he said.

 "This has brought positive results and prevented the overheating of the economy," the Chinese leader said.

 "Analyzing all conditions I can say that a trend of stable and relatively high economic growth rates will remain in our economy," Hu said.

 Beijing is prepared to restart dialogue with Taiwan if the Taiwanese authorities accept the one China principle.

 "We emphatically confirm our plans to resume dialogue and talks between the two shores of the Taiwan Strait, and to discuss all issues if only the Taiwanese authorities would accept the one China principle," Hu said.

 He said the Taiwanese authorities' rejection of the one China principle was the obstacle in relations between continental China and Taiwan.

 "The main stumbling block is that the Taiwanese authorities reject the one-China principle and refuse to recognize the 1992 agreements on this score," the Chinese president said.
 

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