Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying

BEIJING - China aims to further enhance understanding and cooperation with Austria during President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit, Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying told a press briefing on Friday.

At the invitation of Austrian Federal President Heinz Fischer, Chinese President Hu Jintao will pay a state visit to Austria from October 30 to November 2.

During the visit, Hu will hold talks with his Austrian counterpart, as well as hold meetings with Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann and the Speaker of the Parliament Barbara Prammer, respectively, Fu said.

Hu will also attend a trade forum jointly held by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, she added.

Fu said that Hu's upcoming visit is focused on furthering mutual understanding and promoting bilateral cooperation.

"We hope that the green economy will become a new growth point for cooperation," she said, adding that China is also interested in green transportation, eco-agriculture and life sciences, among other areas.

The two sides will sign seven intergovernmental framework agreements, covering economics and trade, environmental protection, water conservancy, education and culture during President Hu's visit, according to Fu.

She said China-Austria trade exceeded $6 billion last year, and China is Austria's largest non-European trade partner.

"On the whole, we are satisfied with the development of China-Austria relations," the official said.

This year marks the 40th anniversary since China established diplomatic relations with Austria.

"There are frequent exchanges between the two nations as we share common interests and views on a lot of issues," she said, adding that China and Austria understand each other "quite well."

"Austria, which is regarded as the kingdom of art and music, enjoys a special status in Chinese people's minds, and, therefore, it has attracted a lot of Chinese tourists," she said. Last year, 23,000 Chinese tourists visited Austria.