German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will be seeking firmer Beijing support for the ongoing US led war against terrorism when he kicks off a visit to China on Wednesday, diplomatic sources said on Tuesday. Schroeder is expected to impress upon the Chinese leadership to be more supportive of the US led coalition's agenda in Afghanistan, a diplomatic source commented on Schroeder's three-day official visit from October 31 to November two.
China, one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, is yet to give explicit backing to the ongoing US led military action against the Taliban regime, which is hosting Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect in the terrorist attacks against the US on September 11.
Schroeder, who will arrive from India, will meet with Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji.
“The two sides will exchange views on bilateral ties, the current international situation, and other issues of common concern,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sun Yuxi said.
In an interview to China's official ‘Xinhua’ news agency, Schroeder said that his upcoming visit to china is aimed at continuing to expand and deepen the close relations that exist between the two nations.
“China is a very important partner for Germany in political, economic, cultural terms,” he said. Noting the development of trade relations between the two nations, Schroeder pointed out that China ranked second as a purchaser of German exports in Asia.
Bureau Report