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MDLLAN 50831
SOLANA MET STATE COUNCILLOR SONG JIAN, WHO IS ALSO MINISTER IN CHARGE OF THE STATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COMMISSION. ARANDAZI MET LI LANQING, MINISTER OF FOREIGN ECONOMIC RELATIONS AND TRADE. LI PENG THEN PRESIDED AT A FAREWELL CEREMONY AFTER WHICH GONZALEZ HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE JUST PRIOR TO HIS DEPARTURE.
BILATERAL POINTS (INCLUDING TRADE)
5. IN A PRESS INTERVIEW LI PENG EXPRESSED SATISFACTION AT THE DEVELOPMENT OF SINO-SPANISH RELATIONS OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES IN THE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, CULTURAL, AND SCIENTIFIC FIELDS. ECONOMIC AND TRADE RELATIONS WERE THE TOP PRIORITY NOW. SPAIN HAD ONE OF THE BEST RELATIONSHIPS WITH CHINA OF ANY EUROPEAN COUNTRY. THE MEDIA REPORTED LI AS REPEATING THESE REMARKS DURING HIS TALKS WITH GONZALEZ, NOTING THAT THE VISIT WOULD PROMOTE THE PROCESS. GONZALEZ REPORTEDLY COMMENTED ON CHINA'S RAPID ECONOMIC PROGRESS AND SAID THAT THE FACT THAT HE HAD COME WITH A LARGE DELEGATION OF SPANISH ENTREPRENEURS SHOWED THE EXTENT OF SPAIN'S INTEREST IN DEVELOPING ECONOMIC COOPERATION WITH CHINA.
6.
THE PRESS QUOTED A CHINESE TRADE OFFICIAL AS SAYING THAT SINO-SPANISH TRADE INCREASED BY 12 PER CENT IN 1992 TO A TOTAL VOLUME OF USD 684 MILLION. HOWEVER, IT MADE UP ONLY 1 PER CENT OF EACH COUNTRY'S FOREIGN TRADE. IN COMPARISON WITH OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES, SPANISH INVESTMENT HAD BEEN SLOW TO INCREASE AND WAS STILL LIMITED IN SCOPE. SPANISH FIGURES FOR THE TRADE VOLUME WERE MUCH HIGHER (USD 1.5 BILLION) BECAUSE THEY TOOK INTO ACCOUNT ENTREPOT TRADE THROUGH HONG KONG. A SPANISH TRADE OFFICIAL SAID THAT IN ADDITION TO GOVERNMENT LOANS, SPANISH FUNDS IN THE INVESTMENT BANK OF EUROPE, THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK AND THE WORLD BANK WOULD BE USED TO ENCOURAGE ECONOMIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL COOPERATION WITH CHINA.
7. AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE, GONZALEZ SAID THAT AS A RESULT OF THE VISIT AN IMPORTANT STEP HAD BEEN TAKEN IN BILATERAL RELATIONS. THE NEW AGREEMENTS WOULD INCREASE SPAIN'S INVESTMENT IN CHINA AND LEAD TO GREATER SPANISH INVOLVEMENT IN CHINA'S DEVELOPMENT. CONE OF THE AGREEMENTS PROVIDED FOR A NEW LINE OF CREDIT WORTH
USD 300 MILLION). AT THE FAREWELL CEREMONY LI PENG ALSO REFERRED TO A BIG STEP FORWARD IN RELATIONS. SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF PRESIDENT YANG SHANGKUN (WHO IS STILL 'CONVALESCING IN GUANGDONG), LI INVITED THE KING AND QUEEN OF SPAIN TO VISIT CHINA AT AN EARLY DATE.
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