Exchanges

Xi Jinping Meets with Dutch Prime Minister

President Xi Jinping met with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on March 28 at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2015. Xi Jinping said that China and the Netherlands should stick to the principles of mutual respect and equal treatment， and respect and protect each others core interests and major concerns to ensure sustained， healthy， and stable development of bilateral relations. The two countries should innovate， consolidate， and expand cooperation in such fields as agricultural products， dairy industry， pollution control， and clean energy. President Xi expressed hope that the Netherlands would promote exports of more high-tech products and technology to China. He went on to say that both countries should further facilitate bilateral personnel exchanges， encourage high-caliber art troupes to perform in each others countries， continue exchanges between the two countriesmuseums and galleries， and deepen bilateral people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

Mark Rutte recalled the successful state visit President Xi Jinping paid to the Netherlands last year， remarking that it significantly promoted bilateral political and economic exchanges. Before coming to Boao， Rutte had led a delegation of Dutch entrepreneurs on visits to Shanghai and Shenzhen. All anticipated their development in China. Rutte expressed hope that more Dutch agricultural and sideline products would be exported to China. China is promoting the rule of law and striving to achieve an economic growth whose emphasis is on quality rather than quantity under the “new normal” situation， and the Netherlands appreciates this. Rutte added that the Dutch side is ready to expand cultural exchanges with China， including the teaching of Chinese， and welcomes more Chinese tourists to the Netherlands.

AALCO Convenes 54th Annual Session

The 54th annual session of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization （AALCO） opened in Beijing on April 13， 2015. This is the second time China has hosted the meeting， the first being in 1990. Over 260 ministerial-level delegates from the AALCO member states， attorney generals， and other high-ranking officials attended the session. Nonmember states and international organizations were also represented.

The session deliberated a wide range of topics， such as the deportation of Palestinians； the work of the UNCITRAL （UN Commission on International Trade Law）； international law in cyberspace； the environment and sustainable development； extremism and terrorism； maritime law； and selected items on the agenda of the International Law Commission.endprint

In addition， two special events were organized as part of the session， one commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Bandung Conference， and the other an International Colloquium on the UN Charter and the Post-War International Order.

This important occasion confers on the AsianAfrican community a historic opportunity to reflect on the past and look to the future.

Macao and Angola Sign Memorandum to Enhance Tourism Cooperation

The Macao Government Tourist Office inked on April 1 a collaborative memorandum with Angolas Ministry of Hotels and Tourism Office of International Exchanges， so seeking to strengthen both sides intercooperation on tourism affairs.

Under the memorandum， Macao and Angola will promote cooperation and partnerships between small and mediumsized tourism enterprises， support the organization of promotional visits of operators， travel agents， and hotel representatives， create a system of incentives for the promotion of the tourism industry， and nurture technical talents in response to the development of tourism， among other measures.

Similar memorandums were signed by Macao with Portuguese-speaking countries including Cape Verde， Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique in 2010， and East Timor in 2013.

China， Russia to Deepen Comprehensive Partnership and Promote World Peace

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Moscow on April 7. President Putin said that Russia-China relations are at an unprecedentedly high level， and that cooperation between the two countries has become the most important stablizing factor in todays world. Russia steadfastly supports Chinas efforts to uphold its core interests and the initiative Chinese President Xi proposed to jointly build the Silk Road Economic Belt. He also promised to strengthen overall cooperation with China， maintain close coordination in international affairs， and jointly deal with challenges to the development of both countries and to world peace and security.

For his part， the Chinese FM said that， in line with the principle of mutual respect and support， and of common development through mutually beneficial cooperation， China and Russia are making successful efforts in shaping a new type of international relations. This serves as useful experience for major countries in their conduct of international cooperation. Wang said that to deal with the new challenges in the global and regional situation， China and Russia should explore the links between Chinas Silk Road Economic Belt initiative and Russias idea of creating a crossEurasia passage， and of integrating Eurasian economies， so creating new platforms for cooperation. He stressed the need to improve people-to-people exchanges and consolidate the social foundation of friendly interactions between the peoples of both countries.endprint