President Jiang Leaves for Five European CountriesChinese President Jiang Zemin left Beijing Sunday for a state visit to the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and the Republic of Malta.Jiang is making the tour at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin of Russia, President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, President Vladimir Voronin of Moldova, President Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine, and President Guido De Marco of Malta. Among those seeing Jiang off in the Great Hall of the People were Premier Zhu Rongji, Vice-President Hu Jintao, Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Wannian, Member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Zeng Qinghong, Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Buhe, Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Zhao Nanqi, Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee Wang Gang, Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan, Minister in charge of Central Foreign Affairs Office Liu Huaqiu. Envoys of the five states also went to see Jiang off. Jiang's entourage includes his wife Wang Yeping, Vice-Premier Qian Qichen and his wife Zhou Hanqiong, Minister in charge of the State Development Planning Commission Zeng Peiyan, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Shi Guangsheng, Director of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee Teng Wensheng, Deputy Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Central Guards Bureau You Xigui, and Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Guchang. Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Deguang has already been in Moscow. |
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