On the afternoon of March 27, 2006, Hu Zhengyue, Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs and Liu Jieyi, Director-General of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, at the invitation of the International Press Center, gave a briefing for domestic and international journalists as well as the information officers from foreign embassies in China, updating them about Premier Wen Jiabao's official visit to Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Cambodia from April 1 to 8 as well as his attendance of the opening ceremony of China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development & Cooperation Forum. Deputy Director General of the Information Department Qin Gang hosted the briefing.

Premier Wen's visit is the first official visit to be paid by a Chinese official in his position to southern Pacific island countries and the first visit to Australia and New Zealand over the past 18 years as well, which is of great significance to building up the political mutual trust between China and the three countries, expanding the mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields and pushing for the in-depth development of China's relations with those countries, said Liu Jieyi. During the visit, Premier Wen will hold talks with Australian Prime Minister Howard, Fijian Prime Minister Qarase and Prime Minister of New Zealand Clark respectively and meet with Australian Governor-General, Fijian President and Governor-General of New Zealand and other officials of the three countries, exchanging opinions on deepening China's friendly and cooperative relations with the three countries as well as the international and regional issues of common concern. Premier Wen will also contact personnel from all walks of society in the three countries to discuss the new channels and ways of promoting China-Australia, China-Fiji and China-New Zealand mutually beneficial cooperation. He will deliver a speech at the welcome luncheon hosted by Prime Minister Howard. The Chinese side will sign a number of inter-governmental agreements and business cooperation documents with the three countries, covering the areas of economy and trade, science and technology and culture.

Liu said that the first ministerial meeting of China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development & Cooperation Forum co-hosted by the Chinese and Fijian governments is scheduled to be held from April 5 to 6 in Nadi, Fiji. During Premier Wen's visit to Fiji, together with the leaders of related Pacific island countries he will attend the opening ceremony of the meeting and deliver a keynote speech, systematically expounding China's policy with Pacific island countries and raising detailed propositions and suggestions on developing the future-oriented relations between China and island countries. Premier Wen will also meet with officials of the participating island countries respectively. Delegates to the meeting will sign the Action Plan of China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development & Cooperation.

Liu noted that at present China's relations with Australia, Fiji and New Zealand enjoy a sound momentum of development, the bilateral high-level exchanges remain frequent, political relations get increasingly strengthened and economic and trade cooperation keeps broadening. In 2005, the bilateral trade volume between China and Australia grew by 33% to US$27.2 billion over 2004, that between China and New Zealand increased by7.6% to US$2.68 billion and between China and Fiji rose by 16.9% to US$45.27million compared with 2004. China's exchanges and cooperation with Australia and New Zealand in such fields as culture, science and technology, education and tourism have achieved remarkable results and brought tangible benefits to their people. China and Fiji cooperate in the areas of agriculture, forestry and fishery and last May Fiji officially became a tourism destination of Chinese citizens. China and the three countries also maintain sound communications and coordination on international and regional affairs and their relations enjoy the promising prospects of further development. The Chinese government attaches importance to building up the friendly and cooperative relations with the three countries and other Pacific island countries as well and expects to work with related countries to push for the constant progress of bilateral ties.

Talking about Premier Wen's visit to Cambodia, Hu Zhengyue said that Premier Wen pays the visit against the background that the bilateral friendly relations and cooperation in various fields move ahead steadily and the purpose of his visit is to consolidate the good-neighborly friendship and promote the pragmatic cooperation in all fields. During his visit Premier Wen will hold talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, exchanging in-depth views on bilateral relations as well as issues of common concern. Premier Wen will also meet with His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni, President of Senate Chea Sim and President of the National Assembly Heng Samrin respectively and attend the signing ceremony of bilateral cooperation documents, the welcome banquet hosted by Prime Minister Hun Sen and the ground-breaking ceremony of the Cambodian government office building which will be constructed with Chinese assistance.

China and Cambodia initially decide that during Premier Wen's visit both countries will issue a "joint communiqué" mainly containing comments on the current bilateral relations and prospects and planning of future cooperation in various fields. In addition, the two countries will also sign a number of bilateral cooperative agreements covering economic and trade and health cooperation, protection of Angkor and fighting against cross-border crimes.

Concerning China-Cambodia relations, Hu noted that the two countries formally established diplomatic relations in 1958. Over the past about half a century the bilateral ties have been progressing steadily. The Chinese leaders of different generations have established profound friendship with His Majesty former King Sihanouk, which is a valuable treasure fueling the constant advance of bilateral relations. China-Cambodia relations maintain a sound development momentum and the exchanges of high-level visit remain frequent. President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji visited the country in 2000 and 2002 respectively. Prime Minister Hun Sen also paid several visits to China at invitation and His Majesty King Sihamoni officially visited China last August. There is no urgent political problem between the two countries and they enjoy mutual understanding and support. The bilateral economic and trade cooperation gets increasingly close. Last year the bilateral trade volume amounted to US$563 million, up 16.7% over the previous year. Currently there are over 80 Chinese companies operating in Cambodia. According to Cambodian statistics, the total contractual investment of Chinese companies in Cambodia numbered US$850 million, mainly in the sectors such as power, construction material, project contracting and agricultural development. Over years China has been providing economic assistance to Cambodia within its power, contributing to Cambodia's economic and social progress.

The exchanges between the two peoples get increasingly frequent. Cambodia has established consulate general in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Kunming and Chongqing. Currently several thousands of Chinese laborers work in Cambodia. An increasing number of Cambodians study, travel and do business in China. In 2005 the bilateral personnel exchanges reached 56,400 person times.

The exchanges between political parties and parliaments of the two countries also remain close. The Communist Party of China (CPC) has established relations with Cambodia People's Party and the Funcinpec party respectively and both sides have conducted frequent exchanges of visit. The National People's Congress (NPC) of China and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) keep frequent contacts with the Cambodian National Assembly and Senate. The parliamentary leaders of the two countries exchange visits frequently. The various parliamentary committees also enjoy close contacts. The military leaders of both countries have paid multiple visits to each other. Both countries enjoy close cooperation in law enforcement and maintain sound coordination and collaboration on international and regional issues. As a member of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Cambodia in the position of China-ASEAN coordinating country has played a positive role of promoting bilateral cooperation.

Then Hu Zhengyue and Liu Jieyi took questions from the journalists.

On the question of China's energy policy and China-Australia energy cooperation, Liu said that China is both a big energy consumer and producer. Since the 1990s over 90% of China's energy demand has been met by domestic supply and its per capita primary energy consumption is far lower than the world average. China follows the basic principle of depending on domestic supply to address the energy problem and the primary energy policy of taking saving as the top priority and efficiency as the basis. China insists upon the international energy cooperation on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and respect. The healthy development of Chinese energy industry creates huge business opportunities to related companies worldwide. China and Australia enjoy strong economic complementarities and have conducted fruitful cooperation in the area of energy and mineral resources. Not long ago China and Australia held consultations on bilateral nuclear energy cooperation, which has achieved substantive progress. The cooperation is only for peaceful purpose and accepts the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The cooperation between China and Australia on the peaceful use of nuclear energy based on equality and mutual benefit is conducive to enriching and deepening the bilateral energy cooperation and in the interest of both. It is also beneficial to China's efforts of building an environmentally friendly society with energy efficiency and the world at large. The Chinese government encourages the Chinese and Australian companies to carry on various forms of cooperation in the energy sector and establish and push forward the partnership with long-term stability and mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation.

In terms of the negations on China-Australia and China-New Zealand free trade areas, Liu noted that to set up the two free trade areas is beneficial to not only the bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation but also the development of Asia and Pacific and the global trade liberalization. Up to now four rounds of negations on the China-Australia free trade area and six rounds on the China-New Zealand free trade area have been conducted. China expects to work with Australia and New Zealand to proactively and steadily advance the negations and reach a mutually beneficial and win-win outcome at the earliest date possible.

On China's relations with Pacific island countries, Liu indicated that China is committed to developing the friendly and cooperative relations with those countries and promoting the mutually beneficial cooperation in such areas as economy and trade, culture and education and health. At present the relations between China and Pacific island countries enjoy a sound momentum of development, with increasing bilateral personnel exchanges and broadening mutually beneficial cooperation. Last year, China's total trade volume with those countries stood at US$838 million, up 58% on a yearly basis. China has provided sincere assistance without any political conditions in response to the real needs of different island countries, making due contributions to the local economic and social progress. China is a dialogue partner of Pacific Islands Forum and we support the Pacific Plan reached at the Pacific Islands Forum Summit last year. China is willing to conduct mutually beneficial and friendly cooperation with the Pacific island countries in a wide range of areas and explore new cooperative measures in the principle of "mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, opening to each other and common prosperity" so as to play its part of maintaining peace and stability in the region and promoting the sustainable development of the regional economy.

On the issue of US, Japan and Australia strategic dialogue, Liu said that the current situation in Asia and Pacific is generally stable but the interwoven traditional and non-traditional security threats pose challenges to the regional situation. Countries should build up mutual trust and enhance common security. We hope that related countries do more constructive things beneficial to increasing mutual trust and maintaining regional peace and stability. It is in the interest of all parties concerned and complies with the trend of peace, development and cooperation. China firmly follows the road of peaceful development, which is conducive to the interest of the Chinese people and people all over the world as well and will never be changed by any ungrounded remarks. China always plays a constructive role in international affairs and we expect to join hands with other members of the international community to work for world peace, stability and common development.

Hu Zhengyue also answered the question on the features of China-Cambodia relations. First, the bilateral friendship is deeply rooted among the people. China-Cambodia relations are good-neighborly friendship in the real sense and enjoy a solid foundation. Second, the two countries cooperate sincerely, bringing about tangible benefits to the two peoples. Third, the bilateral cultural exchanges remain close characterized by mutual understanding and respect. Hu pointed out that Cambodia is an important member of ASEAN and the development of China-Cambodia relations will surely help promote China's friendly and cooperative ties with the organization.

As to China-Cambodia cooperation on protecting Angkor, Hu revealed that the cultural relics authorities of the two countries are discussing the signing of an agreement on the second phase of cooperative protection of Angkor. The discussion is close to the end and it is estimated that the agreement will be formally signed during Premier Wen's visit. It is hoped that the second-phase agreement will enable both parties to continue cooperating to make the project a success, which benefits not only Cambodia but also the world cultural heritage protection undertaking.