Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met here on Monday with Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

During the talks, the two leaders highly evaluated Sino-Filipino relations and expressed their willingness to take more active measures to push bilateral ties towards deeper development.

The talks were held in a cordial and friendly atmosphere and both Premier Wen and President Arroyo expressed satisfaction over the result of the talks.

Wen said that China and the Philippines are friendly neighbors, and the people of the two countries have long enjoyed friendly exchanges.

In the 32 years after the two countries established diplomatic relations, the ties between the two countries have reached a satisfying level of development, whose highest level was embodied by the establishment of a strategic cooperative partnership dedicated to peace and cooperation.

Premier Wen also expressed his agreement with President Arroyo' s description as "the golden era" for the present situation of Sino-Philippines relations.

Wen said peace, cooperation and development are the common desire of the people of all countries in the Asian region. He expressed his satisfaction over the deepening relationship between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and prospering cooperation in the East Asian region, which he said has given unprecedented opportunity and wider space for development of bilateral relations between China and the Philippines.

He said the Chinese government is ready to further deepen cooperation with the Philippines in all fields on the basis of equality, mutual trust, benefit and help.

The Premier said China wishes to work with the Philippines to push forward China-ASEAN relations and the East Asian cooperation process, in order to help maintain peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

Wen fully acknowledged the results from the first phase of cooperation in common development of the South China Sea by China, the Philippines and Vietnam.

He pointed out that the trilateral cooperation in developing the South China Sea implies a deep meaning for peace and stability in the South China Sea region, as well as the increase of mutual trust among the three countries.

He expressed his hope that the three countries could soon begin consultation on the next phase of the South China Sea cooperation plan, in order to see substantial results on the common development of the water body at an early date.

Wen also expressed his high appreciation of the one China policy firmly maintained in a long time by the Philippines government and expressed his gratitude for the support given by the Philippines government to China's grand cause of peaceful reunification.

President Arroyo said Filipino-Chinese relations have attained a very high level and the two countries have been carrying out substantial cooperation in many areas. She viewed the present Filipino-Chinese relations as having entered a "golden era" characterized by a high level of mutual trust, comprehensive development and full maturity.

Arroyo said the China-ASEAN Summit held last October in Nanning and the recently-concluded 10th ASEAN-China Summit in Cebu have given a clear direction and provided specific plans for the future of relations between ASEAN and China.

She said the two summits also opened a wider perspective to the development of bilateral relations between the Philippines and China. The Philippines is willing to use this opportunity to strengthen its strategic cooperative relations with China.

Arroyo expressed her gratitude to China for the help provided by China to Philippines' economic and social development, as well as disaster reduction and relief in the Philippines. She said the Philippines regards China as an important cooperative partner, and is ready to open all potential of cooperation and widen the scale of bilateral economic and trade and investment cooperation.

Arroyo expressed her confidence that the signing of the "Agreement on Trade and Services of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area" would enable both countries to carry out cooperation in relevant fields.

She said the Philippines welcome increased investment from Chinese businesses, especially in the fields of agriculture, fishery and infrastructure.

Arroyo said the Philippines have many Filipino-Chinese citizens and that Chinese culture has major influence in the Philippines. The Philippines wishes to enhance exchanges with China in the fields of culture and humanity.

(Source: Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2007)