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The President of the Republic and the President of the People's Republic of China expressed gratification at the development of our bilateral relations12.06.2002
President Arnold Rüütel and Mrs Ingrid Rüütel Wednesday evening at the House of Blackheads hosted a festive dinner in honour of the President of the People's Republic of China, Jiang Zemin, and his spouse Wang Yeping.
In their addresses, the Heads of State highlighted the brisk development of Estonian-Chinese relations. Already at the meeting between the Presidents and delegations of the two countries in the afternoon, the rapid growth of trade having boosted China into fifth place among Estonia's foreign trade partners and, on the other hand, having made Estonia as a trade partner of China to rank noticeably higher than the other Baltic States, had been underlined with satisfaction.
At the festive dinner, the Estonian Head of State acknowledged the steady advancement of China's economy. Although totally different cultural traditions sometimes caused difficulties they were made up for by friendly interest and goodwill. Due to that, the Estonian Railway, the Port of Tallinn and our fishing industries were making headway in China, and China's national TV was teaching English using textbooks published in Estonia - our Head of State gave examples. He also encouraged the guests to come and enjoy Estonia's nature, clean and rich in species.
President Jiang Zemin responded by addressing appreciative words at Estonia's hospitality and successes. He also gave his praise to our remarkable achievements in preserving the national culture. The Chinese leader quoted the words of Jacob Hurt about the potential of the Estonians to become spiritually grand whilst not having the chance to become a great nation in terms of power or size. He expressed satisfaction at Estonia and China having maintained their relations on an equal footing.
"Peace and progress, prosperity and security are desires of both our peoples. The people of China are willing to pool their efforts with the friendly people of Estonia for the sake of deepening our mutually beneficial co-operation in all areas of life," President Jiang Zemin said.
In order to discuss the possibilities of developing co-operation, President Jiang Zemin invited President Rüütel to visit China.
Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, June 12, 2002
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