Bulgaria will actively participate in the development of the
Europe-China strategic partnership after the country joins the
European Union (EU) and make substantial contribution to enhancing
EU-China dialogues, said Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev.
Stanishev, who will pay his first official visit to China on
Nov. 19-23 after taking office last year, said in a recent written
interview with Xinhua that Bulgaria was willing to serve as a
bridge via which Chinese businesses could enter Europe.
He spoke highly of the traditional friendship between Bulgaria
and China, saying his country regarded China as an important
political and economic partner in Asia.
"In recent years, Bulgaria-China relations have maintained a
strong momentum of development and entered the phase of an
all-around cooperative partnership," said the prime minister.
The upcoming visit, on the eve of Bulgaria's EU accession on
Jan. 1, 2007, indicated the two countries' strong desire to deepen
political dialogue at all levels and broaden their economic and
cultural cooperation, said Stanishev.
He reiterated that Bulgaria would unswervingly adhere to the
one-China policy, saying Taiwan is an inalienable part of China,
and the government of the People's Republic of China is the only
legitimate government representing China.
Bulgaria will never develop official ties with Taiwan, Stanishev
noted.
On China's role in the international arena, he said the foreign
policy implemented by the Asian country was aimed at safeguarding
peace and security in the region and the world at large.
"China's foreign policy and its role as a permanent member of
the UN Security Council have made the country an important
stabilizing factor in the Asia-Pacific region," Stanishev said.
He added that the international community highly valued China's
contribution to the six-party talks on the nuclear issue of the
Korean Peninsula, its active participation in dialogues with the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other regional
organizations, as well as global anti-terrorism efforts, and a
series of important affairs.
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"China encourages multilateral cooperation between different
civilizations to strengthen security and seek common development,
which has also drawn worldwide attention," Stanishev said.
On China's market economy reform, the prime minister said
Bulgaria had paid great attention to the process of the reform.
"In my country, China is the synonym of a country witnessing
rapid development, which is undergoing a successful transition into
high-tech economy," he said.
"The Chinese government's policy of opening up to the outside
world, attracting foreign investment, and introducing new
technology and advanced management method has played an important
role in this aspect," Stanishev said.
China's reform process and its rapid economic development is
remarkably intriguing to the international community, including
Bulgaria. The deeply impressive strategy exercised by the Chinese
government aimed to guarantee a consistent, reasonable and smooth
economic development, while emphasizing the balance of regional
growth, environment protection and the building of a harmonious
society.
He said the EU-China relationship had moved upward dramatically
to a stage of all-dimensional strategic partnership.
Thanks to its geographic advantage of being located at the
eastern border zone of the EU, Bulgaria will serve as a bridge for
Asian partners to enter the European market, the premier said.
As for bilateral trade, he said Chinese investment in Bulgaria
had shifted from sectors like trade and restaurants to those of
light industry and household appliances. Some major Chinese
businesses have taken a foothold in the Bulgarian market and
efforts for Bulgarian-Chinese joint ventures are under way.
He noted there was tremendous potential in bilateral trade and
economic cooperation, citing the fact that trade with China -- its
largest trading partner in Asia -- stood at merely US$780 million
in 2005. The figure is expected to reach 1 billion dollars in
2006.
Stanishev assured that Bulgaria would be actively involved in
the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and the 2010 World Expo in
Shanghai. He believed that the two events would further upgrade
China's image in the world and serve as another testimony of
China's strength.
(Xinhua News Agency November 20, 2006)
