The developing nations should unite among themselves and make arduous efforts for further development, Li Ruihuan, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said Thursday in Port Moresby.
Li passed on regards from Chinese President Jiang Zemin to Atopare, saying that the relations between China and the PNG have continued to make progress in the past 25 years since the two forged diplomatic ties, and that recent years, in particular, have seen more positive momentum of development.
Noting that China, as the PNG's good yet true friend, is ready to collaborate with the PNG to further expand and deepen bilateral friendly cooperative ties in the new century, he thanked the PNG government for its persistence in the "one China" policy.
On the environment issue, Li said that the PNG, with rich natural resources and good entironment, has a forestry rate of 86 percent in its territory, which is widely acclaimed.
History has proved that the formation of a good entironment needs a time of thousands, tens of thousands or even more years, he said, but its destruction only costs tens of years, several years or even instantly.
When the entironment is damaged, it is hard to be recovered or restored completely, which will leave disasters for the people or their offsprings, Li said.
On this issue, he said, some people should be held responsible for the history and take the future into consideration. Otherwise, they will conduct historical crimes, he said.
Both China and the PNG, as developing nations, are facing the same task of developing their respective economy and improving the people's living standard, as well as the task of how to effectively protect the environment, Li stated.
In the past 20 years, he said, the Chinese government has paid great attention to the environmental protection and scored obvious results. However, he said, there are still serious problems in this regard.
China is willing to strengthen cooperation with other countries, including the PNG, to learn and draw from advanced experiences to contribute to a better living space of all mankind.
Atopare asked Li to convey his best wishes to President Jiang, saying that in the past 25 years, the exchanges of visits at all levels and in all fields are continuing to increase and bilateral friendly cooperation is becoming maturer.
The PNG government firmly sticks to the "one China" policy, which he said will by no means be changed.
He thanked the Chinese government for its assistance to the PNG economic development, saying he hoped to continuously tighten the economic, trade and technological exchanges with China, so as to seek common development.
Meeting with PNG Prime Minister
The developing nations should unite among themselves and make arduous efforts for further development, Li said.
Li said this in Papua New Guinea (PNG) in a meeting with PNG Prime Minister Mekere Morauta, shortly after his arrival in the PNG capital.
The leader of China's top advisory body said that since the two countries established diplomatic ties, the overall bilateral relations have continued to push forward.
Since Morauta took office as prime minister, Li said that the PNG government has taken a clear and firm stance on the Taiwan issue, which has served to make bilateral relations score new progress.
He noted that bilateral economic and trade exchanges have expanded at a quick pace and the PNG has become China's largest trading partner among the south pacific island nations.
China's accession to the World Trade Organization will make even closer the economic and trade links with other countries, and provide new opportunities for the China-PNG trade ties, Li said.
Li stated that at present, a fundamental issue, for safeguarding world peace and stability, is to narrow the gap between the developing and the developed nations, and solve the poverty problem among the developing nations.
The developing nations account for 78 percent of the world's total nations, their population 75 percent, and their land 67 percent, Li said.
He added that if their economy goes slowly and the people's living standard could not be improved, this will not only endanger these nations, but also restrict the advancement of the developed nations and affect the whole world's peace, stability and cultural progress.
Li said the international community should work to establish a fair and reasonable political and economic new order, and promote the common prosperity of all countries.
He noted that the developed nations should take their due responsibility and provide more assistance and help to the developing ones in line with their capability.
He said in the past two decades, China, drawing from the past bitter experience, has chosen a development road catering to its own circumstances, focused on its economic progress and adhered to the reform and open-up policy, which finally met the people's basic demand for food and clothing.
As a developing nation, Li said, China is ready to strengthen cooperation and exchanges with the PNG to promote common development.
Morauta said that the PNG has good relations with China and felt happy about its achievements.
Congratulating on China's entry into the World Trade Organization, he said the PNG government hopes to see greater progress in China, which he described as a sincere and important friend that has always given strong support to the PNG government.
He noted that his government will firmly stick to the "one China" policy and strengthen the overall cooperation in the political, economic and trade sectors.
After the meeting, the prime minister hosted a dinner in Li's honor.
(Xinhua News Agency November 16, 2001)
