From Canadian Press: “China’s president touted his country’s economic progress in a televised year-end speech Friday, calling for continued fast growth in 2005 and a larger role for Beijing in world affairs.
Hu Jintao also promised more trade with Hong Kong and Macau, former European colonies that returned to Chinese rule in the late 1990s, and said China would never allow Taiwan to be independent.
In wide-ranging remarks, Hu characterized China as a peace-seeking nation that shares the world’s hopes for an end to war and poverty and would help other countries in any way it can.”
