Message from His Excellency Lt. General Soe Win, Prime Minister of the Union of Myanmar to His Excellency Mr. Wen Jiabao, Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China :

ON THE AUSPICIOUS OCCASION OF THE FIFTY FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UNION OF MYANMAR AND THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, I AM PLEASED TO EXTEND, ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNION OF MYANMAR, AND ON MY OWN BEHALF, OUR HEARTFELT FELICITATIONS AND BEST WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY, AND THROUGH YOU, TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.

OVER THE PAST FIFTY FIVE YEARS SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE LONG-STANDING TRADITIONAL PAUK PHAW RELATIONSHIP BASED ON THE FIVE PRINCIPLES OF PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE, GOOD NEIGHBOURLINESS, MUTUAL RESPECT, UNDERSTANDING AND COOPERATION.

WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE MAKING JOINT EFFORTS TO FURTHER CONSOLIDATE AND DEVELOP THE FRIENDLY RELATIONS BY ENHANCING COOPERATION IN TRADE, INVESTMENT, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND OTHER AREAS OF MUTUAL INTEREST BASED ON THE SPIRIT OF EQUALITY AND MUTUAL BENEFIT.

WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT THE EXISTING FRIENDLY AND COOPERATIVE RELATIONS INITIATED BY SUCCESSIVE LEADERS AND MAINTAINED AND NURTURED BY THE PRESENT LEADERSHIP WILL BE FURTHER STRENGTHENED BY THE GENERATIONS TO COME.

PLEASE, ACCEPT, EXCELLENCY, THE ASSURANCES OF MY HIGHEST CONSIDERATION.