(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-02-02 09:34

China's President Hu Jintao (L) meets Liberia's President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in Liberia's capital Monrovia February 1, 2007. [Reuters]

MONROVIA -- Chinese President Hu Jintao and Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf agreed on Thursday to make common efforts to implement the consensus the two sides have reached on bilateral cooperation.

In their talks held shortly after Hu's arrival in Monrovia from Cameroon, the two leaders said that with concerted efforts by both sides, China-Liberia relations will be pushed to a new high.

Hu said that the Chinese and Liberian people enjoy a traditional friendship and that relations between the two countries have been developing rapidly since the resumption of diplomatic ties in 2003, with high-level exchanges increasing, mutual political trust enhanced, and trade and economic cooperation making headway.

The projects of inter-governmental cooperation were conducted smoothly, and the cooperation in the fields of education, health and human resources has yielded fruitful results, said the Chinese president.

China and Liberia have also maintained sound consultation and cooperation in international affairs, he said.

Hu said that Chinese soldiers' participation in the UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia has contributed to peace, stability, reconstruction and development in Liberia.

The Chinese president expressed appreciation for the unswerving adherence by the Liberian government and parliament to the one-China policy and their support for China's great cause of national unification.

He put forward a four-point proposal on facilitating further cooperation between China and Liberia:

-- Promoting exchanges between government departments, legislatures and political parties, as well as people-to-people contacts between the two countries, so as to lay a solid socio-political foundation for their friendship;

-- Conducting pragmatic cooperation in trade and economy, sparing no effort in carrying out the ongoing cooperation projects and encouraging businesses to engage in various forms of cooperation;

-- Jointly pushing for the implementation in Liberia of the measures announced by the Chinese government at the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation;

-- Expanding exchanges in the humanistic field and strengthening cooperation in education, health, culture, personnel training and international affairs to safeguard the common interests of the two countries and other developing nations.

For her part, Johnson-Sirleaf said Hu's visit to Liberia is of great historical significance.

The visit indicates that China is a friend of Africa and Liberia, she said.

Johnson-Sirleaf thanked China for its support and aid for Liberia's reconstruction and development.