From November 2 to 6, 2007, Premier Wen Jiabao of the State Council, at invitation, paid official visits to Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Belarus and Russia and attended the sixth Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Prime Ministers' Meeting in Tashkent and the 12th China-Russia prime ministers' regular meeting and the closing ceremony of the China Year in Moscow. Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi who accompanied Premier Wen during the visits introduced to the accompanying journalists the outcome of Wen's four-country tour on their way back to China.

It is the first official visit paid by a senior Chinese leader after the closing of the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and a major diplomatic activity. Premier Wen made extensive contacts on both bilateral and multilateral occasions to strengthen friendship and seek cooperation, which well demonstrates China's diplomatic principles of peace, development and cooperation and proposition on mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation, said Yang.

I. Promoting the pragmatic cooperation among the SCO members

Yang noted that faced with such non-traditional security threats as "the three forces" and drug trafficking and the common tasks of developing the economy and improving people's welfare the SCO members must expand regional economic cooperation while enhancing security cooperation. To promote the mutual understanding among people of its member countries, the organization should broaden the educational and cultural exchanges. Cooperation in security, economy and culture constitutes three pillars of the SCO. The seventh Summit of SCO Presidents which was held in Bishkek August this year drafted new plans on the future development of the organization and the strengthening of cooperation among member states and signed the Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation. The sixth Prime Ministers' Meeting aimed at discussing how to implement the consensus and the treaty reached at the Bishkek Summit.

Wen raised specific proposals on deepening and expanding cooperation among the SCO members, including strengthening the coordination of laws, regulations and policies, improving trade and investment environment, building economic cooperation mechanism, opening new cooperation areas in a prioritized and step-by-step way, implementing network projects in priority areas, ensuring the early launch of demonstration projects, intensifying the research and planning on economic policies and increasing information exchanges. He stressed that member countries reinforce cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, agriculture, energy, transport and communication, encourage mutual investment and business cooperation and advance cooperation in the areas of science and technology, education, culture, health and environmental protection. He especially emphasized that efforts be taken to implement the agreements and consensus reached among member states in recent years.

Premier Wen's far-sighted and realistic proposals which take into account the interest of all parties concerned received positive responses from the leaders of other countries. They agreed that it is the common aspiration of member states and the key to maintaining the dynamism and vigor of the SCO to deepen the pragmatic cooperation and realize common development and prosperity. Delegates to the meeting conducted consultations on cooperation in a constructive atmosphere, reached multiple consensuses and signed a dozen of documents. The Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters signed at the meeting in particular will greatly facilitate the cross-border circulation of goods among member countries.

II. Deepening China-Russia strategic partnership

Yang said that after the first decade of development the China-Russia strategic partnership has achieved fruitful results and reached an unprecedented high level. The success of the China Year and the Russia Year during which more than 500 activities were held has greatly enhanced the mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples and stimulated the bilateral cooperation. China-Russia relations stand at an important development stage and face new development opportunities. President Hu Jintao and President Putin have met with each other for five times this year and jointly outlined the principles and direction of future development of bilateral relations.

During the visit, Premier Wen met with President Putin and held talks with Prime Minister Zubkov. Both sides exchanged in-depth views and reached extensive consensus on enhancing the bilateral strategic coordination and comprehensive cooperation and major international and regional issues of common concern. Wen stressed that China will faithfully follow the peaceful thought and development concept of "friendship from generation to generation and progress side by side" and resolutely advance the bilateral strategic partnership, consolidate the political, material, social and security foundation and strengthen the international coordination of such strategic cooperation. The Russian leaders reiterated that Russia's policy of developing relations with China would remain unchanged and Russia would be committed to strengthening its strategic partnership and conducting long-term stable cooperation with China.

Both sides agreed to take further measures to boost the all-round and balanced development of bilateral economic and trade cooperation. Efforts should be made to optimize the trade structure with special focus on increasing the proportion of machinery and electronic products, deepen cooperation in the fields of energy, aviation, spaceflight, investment and infrastructure, increase mutual investment, implement major projects, standardize trade order, properly handle trade friction, advance local cooperation and border trade and enhance cooperation in education, culture, health and sports. They signed a number of cooperation documents covering a wide range of areas.

Premier Wen and Prime Minister Zubkov jointly attended and addressed the second China-Russia Business Summit Forum and the closing ceremony of the China Year, which marks the successful end of the China Year and the Russia Year. Both leaders spoke highly of the great achievements and significance of the event and determined to institutionalize those activities which are effective and welcomed by the Chinese and Russian people.

III. Enhancing political mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Belarus

Yang said that China, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Belarus enjoy mutual respect and equal treatment politically, hold identical or similar opinions on many major issues and share strong economic complementarities and huge cooperation potential. Under new circumstances, to advance the bilateral friendly cooperation serves the fundamental interest of China and the three countries and is conducive to the regional peace, stability and common development.

The three countries all attached great importance to the visit of Premier Wen and made high-level receptions. Wen and the leaders of the three countries exchanged in-depth views on issues of common concern including the bilateral relations. Wen stressed that China respects the development roads independently chosen by the people of the three countries, supports their efforts of maintaining national sovereignty and security and developing national economy and opposes the intervention of external forces in their internal affairs with the excuse of "human rights". Leaders of the three countries said they would continue to resolutely support China on such questions as Taiwan, Tibet and fight against the "East Turkistan" terrorist force. The leaders of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan indicated the willingness of strengthening security enforcement cooperation and jointly fighting against "the three forces". The government of Belarus declared its firm opposition to such activities aimed at seeking "Taiwan independence" as "vote on UN membership". China reached consensus with the three countries to increase the contacts between governments and legislatures and strengthen communications and coordination in international and regional affairs.

To strengthen China's economic and trade cooperation with the three countries, Premier Wen raised the suggestions on complementing each other with advantages, working out sound cooperation plans, exploring new cooperation forms and expanding cooperation areas. He pointed out that efforts should be made to improve the trade structure by increasing the proportion of high-tech and value-added products, reinforce cooperation in such fields as agriculture, telecommunications, transport and infrastructure construction and increase the cooperation in non-resource economic areas while tightening energy cooperation with related countries. The government agencies must play their due role in making plans and instructions and facilitate mutual investment and business cooperation. Financing channels should be expanded to support major cooperation projects. China and Uzbekistan set the goal of raising the bilateral trade volume to US$1.5 billion by 2010 and agreed to speed up the construction of China- Kyrgyzstan -Uzbekistan road and railway. China would encourage domestic companies to increase direct import of cotton from Uzbekistan. China and Turkmenistan reiterated the efforts of completing the oil and natural gas pipeline construction as scheduled and conducting textile and agriculture cooperation. China and Belarus agreed to strengthen technological cooperation, support the joint production and development efforts of businesses and research institutes of both countries. China reached consensus with the three countries to reinforce educational and cultural exchanges, build up mutual understanding and friendship and consolidate the foundation of bilateral relations. China also signed a number of bilateral cooperation documents with all the three countries.

In recent years, a number of Chinese businesses have been engaged in projects as contractors and invested in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Belarus. Premier Wen visited representatives of related Chinese businesses and encouraged them to do more good and practical things for the local people, build first-class projects, achieve sound performance and consolidate friendship.

Yang pointed out lastly that the visit of Premier Wen consolidated the good-neighborly friendship, deepened political mutual trust, advanced pragmatic cooperation and achieved fruitful results.