Premier’s Chinese trip
‘successful and positive’
Two nations hold ‘almost identical’ views on Middle
East crisis Maurice Kaldawi
Daily Star staff
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri flew home Monday from Beijing
following a “successful and positive” three-day visit, which climaxed in a
meeting with President Jiang Zemin and a promise to send a Chinese mission to Lebanon next
month to discuss financing dam projects.
A statement issued by Hariri’s office in Beirut said the two countries “hold the
same points of view, especially with regard to political and economic issues” and the
Chinese president expressed “a desire to bolster relations with Lebanon at all
levels.”
Hariri, who was accompanied on the visit by Economy Minister Basil Fuleihan, Culture
Minister Ghassan Salameh, Tourism Minister Karam Karam and several business executives,
met Sunday with his Chinese counterpart, Zhu Rongji, who told reporters that the two
states held “almost identical” positions on Middle East issues.
The statement quoted Hariri as telling Jiang that the Middle East was facing
“problems due to Israel’s disrespect for international resolutions.”
“This requires a great and exceptional effort on the part of the big powers,
especially the permanent members of the (United Nations) Security Council, including
China, to restore confidence in peace in the region,” Hariri said.
Chinese television said Hariri thanked China for supporting the Palestinian people’s
“fight against aggression and occupation,” while Jiang condemned Israel’s
“failure to withdraw troops from Palestine” and pledged to help find a solution.
The official Xinhua News Agency said Hariri had invited Chinese entrepreneurs to invest in
Lebanon. It quoted Yu Xiaosong, president of the China Council for the Promotion of
International Trade, as saying trade between the two countries was up 40 percent from
2000.
China agreed to extend an easy-term loan amounting to the equivalent of $6 million for
rearing sea fish, instead of planting rice. Chinese experts will be sent to Lebanon to
help in this regard.
Meanwhile, Hariri affirmed that Lebanon was working to develop and modernize its trade
sector, in addition to its efforts to recover its former role as a regional financial and
media center.
Prior to his departure, Hariri received heads of Arab diplomatic missions in Beijing and
briefed them on his talks with Chinese leaders and China’s support for Arab causes.
He also briefed them on the latest developments on the situation in the Middle East.
With agencies
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