CHINESE PRESIDENT ANSWERS PRESIDENT TUDJMAN'S LETTER

( Editorial: --> 7295 ) ZAGREB, April 16 (Hina) - In a letter to Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, Chinese President Jiang Zemin expressed conviction that the economic cooperation between China and Croatia would continue to develop and spread to new areas. The letter was handed over to presidential chief-of-staff Hrvoje Sarinic by the Chinese Ambassador to Croatia, Li Guobang, on Thursday. Croatia has already become China's important trading partner in central-east Europe, the letter read. Thanking President Tudjman for the letter he sent him, China's President expressed satisfaction with the friendly cooperation between the two countries, in which President Tudjman's visit to China played an important role. China respects the wish of the Croatian people to choose their own development path, and it supports Croatia's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Chinese President said, adding it was China's wish to see Croatia as an important factor of peace and security in the region. President Jiang expressed appreciation for President Tudjman's kind invitation, adding that he expected he would have an opportunity to visit Croatia. (hina) mm rm/mrb 162125 MET apr 98