Premier Wen meets British, Indian PMs

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-09-25 19:33

UNITED NATIONS -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown met here Wednesday to discuss major international issues of common concern, particularly the international community's aid to Africa.

At the meeting, Wen focally briefed Brown on China's package of policies and measures on assisting Africa.

The Chinese premier said that without peace and development in Africa, the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) can never be realized, let alone realization of peace and development of the whole world.

Wen said China has always attached great importance to the issue of African development, and has spared no effort to assist African countries in strengthening their independent development capacity.

China fully respects the will of African countries and never attaches any political conditions in extending aid, he added.

Wen urged developed countries to fully meet their commitments to assisting Africa and take more practical approaches to promote African development.

China is willing to strengthen exchange and coordination with all the parties concerned, and make positive efforts to promote African development and realize common progress and prosperity, Wen said.

Speaking on the same occasion, Brown said China has scored achievements in poverty alleviation arousing worldwide attention.

Brown said that Britain highly appreciates China's efforts to actively support and assist other countries in fighting poverty, diseases and illiteracy.

Britain expects the international community to make concerted efforts for greater progress in realizing the MDGs, Brown said, adding that Britain is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in this endeavor.

The two leaders also exchanged views on the current international financial situation.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh here on Wednesday, with both leaders stressing the importance of further developing bilateral ties and cooperation, as China and India are two developing powers in Asia.

Wen emphasized that as both developing powers, China and India should join hands in seeking development together, which will cast significant and far-reaching influence to the world.

In face of a complicated and changeable world situation, as well as a roily world financial market, China and India should enhance coordination and cope with the problems together, which meets the interests of both countries, and which is important for world and regional peace and stability, said Wen.

The Chinese premier pledged to work with the Indian side to further promote exchange and cooperation based on mutual respect and equal consultation, in a bid to properly handle issues of common concern such as the border issue, and to push bilateral relations to move forward smoothly.

Speaking on the same occasion, Singh said that India and China are not rivals but strategic cooperation partners. Developing friendly and close cooperative relations with China is a priority in India's foreign relations, said the prime minister.

India is committed to promoting cooperation with China in all bilateral fields, and will strengthen exchange and negotiation with the Chinese side on such areas as international trade, energy security and climate change, said Singh.

India wishes the two sides will speed up the negotiation process and reach an agreement soon on solving the border issue between the two nations acceptable by both sides, said the Indian PM. He appreciated China's positive attitude to India's peaceful development of nuclear energy, and hoped China and India could initiate cooperation in this aspect.

The Chinese Premier met Singh here before attending a high-level U.N. meeting for the Millennium Development Goals scheduled for Thursday.