Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) shakes hands with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva after signing the joint communique at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 19, 2009. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

BRASILIA, May 25 (Xinhua) — Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Monday highly evaluated his recent China tour, calling it one of his most fruitful visits since he took power in 2003.

“It is a trip, I would say, of all I have done, the best,” Lula told his weekly radio program “Coffee with the President,” hailing the achievements he made during his May 18-20 visit to China.

“We closed an agreement on chicken export, and we have good possibilities of closing another on meat,” Lula said, adding that agreements have also been struck among the Brazilian Bank of Economic and Social Development (BNDES), the Bank of Development from China, the Bank of Brazil and the Itau Bank.

Lula said China showed great interest in investing in Brazil.

During Lula’s visit, the two countries issued a joint communique to boost their strategic partnership.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and President Lula stressed the great importance to maintain economic growth and strengthen bilateral trade amid the international financial crisis. They vowed to promote cooperation and remove obstacles to custom and quality control so as to facilitate bilateral trade.

Both sides encouraged institutions and enterprises to invest in infrastructure construction, energy, mining, agriculture, industry, and high-tech industries.

In April 2008, the Brazilian authorities announced that China would become Brazil’s major business partner, surpassing the United States for the first time.

Hu Jintao (3rd L), general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, meets with Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung in Beijing, capital of China, on May 26, 2009.(Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

BEIJING, May 26 (Xinhua) — The Chinese mainland expects talks about a cross-Strait economic cooperation agreement to start in the latter half of this year, said President Hu Jintao here Tuesday.

“Both sides should push forwards the preparation work for signing the agreement,” said Hu, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, at a meeting with visiting Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung.

In the near future, the mainland will continue focusing on economic cooperation with Taiwan. And the top task now is to jointly tackle the impact of the global downturn, he said.

“We have adopted some measures to pull through this crisis together with you (Taiwan people) as compatriots on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one family,” he said. “We will continue doing this if the situation requires us to do it.”

The mainland prefers an economic agreement that will benefit economic development on both sides, improve people’s welfare and contribute to a cooperative mechanism that fits the cross-Strait reality, he said.

BEIJING, May 26 (Xinhua) — China’s largest state-owned aircraft maker said on Tuesday that it has started to extend the China Aviation Museum for a series of celebrations to mark the nation’s rarely-known aeronautic centennial and the 60th founding anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force.

The extension will increase the exhibition area to more than 10,000 square meters for a military air show and an aviation exhibition around Nov. 11, said Lin Zuoming, general manager of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).

The project will be jointly conducted by the AVIC and the Air Force and finished in September, according to the company.

The China Aviation Museum, owned by the Air Force, is the largest of its kind in China.

Based in Changping District of Beijing’s northern outskirt, it was opened to public on Nov. 11, 1989 and displays about 300 historic aircraft including a prototype made by China’s first aviator Feng Ru.

Feng (1884-1912) made his first successful flight in Oakland, California by piloting the first airplane designed and made by Chinese on Sept. 21, 1909.

According to the AVIC, the aviation exhibition will display all the historical achievements in the 100-year development of China’s aeronautic industry.

The air show will demonstrate various aircraft used by the PLA Air Force in different periods of time, surface-to-air missiles, radars and other equipment.

The PLA Air Force was founded on Nov. 11, 1949 when it was soon engaged in the war to resist U.S. and aid Korea, or the Korean Warin 1950s.

This year marks many celebrations for the military and civilians in China, in which a grand military parade will be held on Oct. 1 for the 60th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.

In April, the PLA Navy held an unprecedented maritime parade and an international fleet review attended by 21 foreign warships in the Yellow Sea to celebrate its 60th founding anniversary.

Military and civilian vessels sail in waters near the west coast of Taiwan Strait during the “Luhai 2009″ joint search and rescue exercise, May 26, 2009. This aeroamphibious search and rescue exercise includes the emergency response of rescue vessels and aircraft, saving drowning passengers and first aid for the victims and so on. [Xinhua]

A helicopter rescues a victim during the “Luhai 2009″ joint search-and-rescue exercise in the sea near the west coast of Taiwan Strait, May 26, 2009. This aeroamphibious search and rescue exercise includes the emergency response of rescue vessels and aircraft, saving drowning passengers and first aid for the victims, etc. [Xinhua]

“Luhai 2009″ joint search and rescue exercise includes the emergency response of rescue vessels and aircraft, saving drowning passengers and first aid for the victims and so on.