16 June 2004 15:49
Shanghai Cooperation Organization members boosting ties - Chinese agency
(New China News Agency)
Beijing, 16 June: China and the other five members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Russia,
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, are boosting economic cooperation besides in the anti-terrorism
sector, as mentioned in a series of mutual agreements.
The trade volume between China and the other five SCO members hit 19.72bn US dollars in 2003 and 8.1bn US dollars in
the first four months this year, Chinese customs figures show.
Russian Ambassador to China Igor A. Rogachev told Xinhua that the regular meeting between Russian and Chinese leaders
and the bilateral agreements have forged a strong mechanism to enhance economic ties.
Sino-Russian trade has maintained an upward momentum for six years consecutively and reached 15.6bn US dollars in
2003, 6.1bn US dollars in the January-April period this year.
"But as the two economies both transform into market-oriented ones, we need more direct cooperation between the
two industries," Rogachev said.
Uzbekistani Ambassador to China Nosirjon Yusupov said Uzbekistan-China trade was 347m US dollars in 2003, up 100 per
cent on the basis of last year, noting he hopes Chinese enterprises would participate in the Uzbekistani
telecommunication market and enhance energy cooperation.
Energy and communication cooperation also fuelled China's trade with the other SCO members, involving an oil
pipeline from Kazakhstan to China and a pan-Asia road network.
[Xinhua news agency] |
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