Romanian President Basescu To Meet China President Hu Jintao In July, In Beijing – Sources

Basescu will attend the Expo 2010 international fair in Shanghai, on Romania’s National Pavilion Day – July 29.

According to the cited sources, Basescu will arrive in Shanghai on July 28, after his visit to Beijing and his meeting with Hu Jintao. In Beijing, Basescu will be joined by Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi.

Romania’s presidents visited the PRC in 1991, 1994, 1997, 2003 and 2006, while Chinese heads of state came to Romania in 1996 and 2004. In 2004, the two country leaders (at the time, Ion Iliescu and Hu Jintao) signed a joint declaration pledging partnership and cooperation.

On October 19, 2009, in Bucharest, Basescu said, in the presence of Chinese vice-president Xi Jinping, that he would attend the Expo 2010 fair. Basescu also stated Romania’s position that Tibet and the Xinjiang province (an autonomous region with a high ethnic Uyghur population) are issues of domestic policy and that Bucharest recognizes „One China.”

At the time, Basescu also pledged to continue Romania’s support in the European Union of the position that China has a functioning market economy. He added that 9,595 companies with Chinese or mixed Romanian-Chinese capital had invested $330 million into Romania’s economy and investments are projected to carry on.

Xi Jinping described his discussions with Romania’s president as „honest” and „pragmatic.”

Shanghai was chosen to host the 2010 World Expo in the International Exhibitions Bureau’s general assembly’s 132nd session, on December 13, 2002. The PRC is the first developing country to hold an international fair.