Broadcasting Time: 2006-05-20




Chinese top legislator Wu Bangguo is on the first leg of a four-nation tour of the Europe.

Foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization met to pave the way for its summit in June.

Iranian President rejected a European plan to offer his country incentives.

And Typhoon Chanchu hit China's southern provinces of Guangdong and Fujian.

Hello! You're very welcome along to CRI Roundup; I'm ... in Beijing - and today is Saturday the 20th of May.

Now let's have a look at what's been happening over the past week.

1. Wu Bangguo in Europe (17)

China's top legislator Wu Bangguo has expressed the support of the Chinese government for Romania's joining of the European Union.
He was speaking in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, on the first stopover of a four-country European tour.

Wu Bangguo said that despite the many differences in cultures and political systems, the relationship between China and Europe has been developing rapidly and smoothly.

"The relation between China and EU has proved that it is no problem for countries with different social systems to strengthen their cooperation and develop their partnership, so long as they try to seek common grounds."

The European Union has expanded from its original 12 member states in 1993 to the current 25, with an economic strength almost equivalent to that of the United States.

The EU has been China's largest trade partner for two consecutive years, while China has also risen to become the second largest trade partner of the EU.

1. SCO meeting (16)

Foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization - or SCO - a six-member intergovernmental group, met in Shanghai Monday to pave the way for its summit to be held in mid-June.

Commenting on the meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said that it was pragmatic and constructive.

"The Foreign Ministers have reached the consensus that the SCO should deepen regional cooperation both in security areas - to combat separatist forces, terrorism and extremism; and in economic fields - to facilitate trade and investment exchange."

Ministers also ratified a statute on dispatching observers for elections and national referendums of member states.

The SCO was founded in Shanghai in 2001, consisting of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as permanent members, with Mongolia, Pakistan, India and Iran as its four observer states.