Chinese president meets Austrian top legislator

Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao met here on Monday with Austrian National Council President Barbara Prammer, urging to promote the Sino-Austrian friendly and cooperative ties to a new high. During the meeting, Hu said that both sides should stick to the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and common development, continue to deepen mutual political understanding and trust, expand economic cooperation, and learn from each other in people-to-people exchanges. Both sides should also continue to strengthen consultation and coordination in international affairs, and seize the opportunities to further enhance bilateral relations, he added. He noted that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 40 years ago, the Sino-Austrian bilateral relations have developed constantly with fruitful results in mutually beneficial cooperation in various sectors. The two-way trade has increased rapidly. Exchanges and cooperation in science and technology, culture, education and tourism have been in full swing, and both sides have kept good consultation and coordination in international affairs and within multilateral organizations such as the Untied Nations, Hu said. The Chinese president also spoke highly of the exchanges between the Chinese and Austrian legislatures. Hu said that the exchanges and cooperation between the two legislatures are vital part of the relations between China and Austria. In recent years, such exchanges have become all the more frequent, which is helpful for deepening the understanding between Chinese and Austrian peoples and plays an important role in pushing forward the comprehensive development of relations between the two nations, Hu added. The Chinese president called for more exchanges and communication at various levels and through different forms between the two legislatures, so as to contribute more to the bilateral relations at large. Prammer, on her part, extended warm welcome to the Chinese president, who arrived here on Sunday for a state visit. Prammer said that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the two countries, noting that a series of relevant cultural events have deepened the friendship between the two peoples. She also said the Austrian National Council and China's National People's Congress have maintained a good relationship with frequent top-level visits between the two sides. She expressed the hope that the two legislatures will promote exchanges and cooperation so as to contribute more to the deepening of the Sino-Austrian friendship. Later on Monday evening, President Hu left Vienna for Salzburg to continue his state visit to Austria.