Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Turkmen leaders on Wednesday discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations and the two countries signed agreements on economic cooperation.

At a meeting with his Turkmen counterpart Rashid Meredov in Turkmen capital Ashkhabad, Li proposed measures to strengthen links, including more high-level visits to promote mutual political trust, improved coordination in international affairs to better guard mutual interests, and closer cooperation in economic, trade and cultural fields.

Expressing thorough agreement with Li on the proposals, Meredov said Turkmenistan supports China's position on the issues of Taiwan and Tibet and backs its fight against the "Eastern Turkistan" terrorist groups. He said Turkmenistan sticks to the one-China policy, opposes Taiwan's entry into any international organizations which only take sovereign countries as members.

The two also discussed regional and international situation.

In a separate meeting with Turkmen President Saparmurad Atayevich Niyazov, Li said China and the central Asian country share broad interests in safeguarding each other's sovereignty and developing their economies. China hopes to work with Turkmenistan to further bolster their friendly relations, he said.

Niyazov spoke highly of bilateral ties and China's economic achievements. He said he was greatly impressed by the enormous changes in China during his two visits to China and Turkmenistan appreciates China's choice of a development mode suited to itself.

Niyazov thanked China for its respect of Turkmenistan's domestic and foreign policies.

The president said the two countries have started cooperation in textile manufacturing, energy, transport and communications and the results were encouraging. Turkmenistan hopes to see more exchanges and cooperation with China in all fields, he said.

Niyazov and Li later attended a signing ceremony of bilateral agreements on economic cooperation.