Cross-border infrastructure financing to continue: Wen

URUMQI -- China will continue providing financing support for cross-border infrastructure construction with Eurasia, Premier Wen Jiabao told an audience at a session of the second China-Eurasia Expo on Sunday.

Addressing the second China-Eurasia Economic Development and Cooperation Forum in Urumqi of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Wen said China and involved countries should earnestly carry out such projects as the China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline and the China-Kazakhstan oil pipeline, and push forward the new energy pipelines between China and Russia.

The countries should speed up building major transport routes, including the highway linking western China and western Europe, the China-Tajikistan highway and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan highway and railway, he said.

The premier added China and Eurasian countries should effectively operate and maintain the Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe railway, a recently opened logistics route between Asia and Europe.

He also called for better integration of regional telecommunications networks.

With regard to cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and Eurasia, Wen said the two sides should expand dialogue and exchanges between civilizations, respect each other's cultural traditions and religious customs, and promote mutual learning and harmonious coexistence of different races, religions, beliefs and cultures.

More cultural exhibitions and festivals should be organized and more fine works should be published, he said.

Wen encouraged countries to send more students to each other, build joint universities and strengthen cooperation in human resources training.

"We should promote tourism cooperation, and establish more sister provinces/states relations," he said.

He also called for closer friendly exchanges between academic institutions, youth organizations and news media.

"History proves that stronger cultural and people-to-people exchanges will expand mutual understanding and common views among the Eurasian people, and bolster friendly relations between the countries," according to the premier.

The Second China-Eurasia Expo is taking place in Urumqi from September 2 to 7. Fifty-five countries and regions, six international organizations, including the United Nations Development Program and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, will attend the event.