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Senior Chinese legislator visits Namibia

Cai Dafeng, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC), visited Namibia from May 30 to June 2 at the invitation of the country’s National Assembly.

Meeting Namibian leaders, Cai said that China and Namibia have been good friends and partners since the establishment of diplomatic ties 34 years ago.

China and Namibia formally established diplomatic relations on the day after the country gained its national independence from the colonial rule of the then racist apartheid regime in South Africa. However, the friendship and solidarity between the two countries were forged from the 1960s onwards, as China extended strong material and moral support to Namibia’s armed liberation struggle.

Accordingly, the Namibian side thanked China for its selfless support during its struggle for national independence as well as in subsequent nation-building.

During his stay in the capital Windhoek, Cai also visited the Independence Memorial Museum, which focuses on the country’s resistance against colonialism and its national liberation movement. Located on Robert Mugabe Avenue, named for the leader of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle, the museum was built by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), another socialist country that fully supported the Namibian liberation movement.

The following article was originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.

WINDHOEK, June 2 (Xinhua) — Cai Dafeng, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress, visited Namibia from May 30 to June 2 at the invitation of the Namibian National Assembly.

During the four-day trip, Cai held talks with Namibian Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Speaker of the National Assembly Peter Hitjitevi Katjavivi, and Chairperson of the National Council Lukas Sinimbo Muha.

Cai said that China and Namibia have been good friends and partners since the establishment of diplomatic ties 34 years ago. The two sides have maintained sincere friendship, treated each other as equals through thick and thin, and forged ahead together.

He said that China will continue to be Namibia’s companion on its road to development and revitalization, to further advance the China-Namibia comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation and achieve new results.

Cai briefed the Namibian officials on China’s modernization drive, the upcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit, to be held in Beijing this autumn, as well as China’s push for national revitalization through science and education.

The Namibian side thanked China for its selfless support during its struggle for national independence and nation-building, reiterated its adherence to the one-China principle, and highlighted the important role of working together through the Belt and Road Initiative and forums such as FOCAC.

The Namibian officials also expressed the hope to learn from China’s development experience and its advanced technologies, and to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in various fields.

During his stay in Windhoek, the Namibian capital, Cai also visited the Independence Memorial Museum, which focuses on the country’s resistance against colonialism and its national liberation movement.

China and Türkiye will strengthen cooperation towards comprehensive, fair and lasting resolution of the Palestinian issue

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who is considered a rising star in his country’s political scene, visited China from June 3-5.

The visit was treated as having a broader significance, while also representing an important advance in bilateral relations. The wider context was highlighted by Global Times, which wrote:

“China has been in close communication with Muslim countries in the Middle East recently amid the worsening situation in Gaza, as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan started his visit to China on Monday, just a few days after the 10th ministerial conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum. Chinese analysts said that apart from boosting bilateral cooperation, China will strengthen cooperation and coordination with Türkiye and other major powers in the region to jointly promote a sustainable ceasefire in the continuing Palestinian-Israeli conflict.”

It added: “With regard to bilateral relations, the visit will boost the China-Türkiye cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, as Türkiye is a key partner of China with an important location bridging Asia and Europe, and also a major power in the region.”

The newspaper further noted that “the ongoing crisis in Gaza further strengthens unity among Muslim countries.

“On Sunday, a day ahead of Fidan’s visit to China, Iranian Caretaker Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani and Türkiye’s top diplomat called on Muslim states to employ everything in their capacity to support Palestinians and stop the crimes by Israel in the Gaza Strip, according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

“On the topic of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the tragedy in Gaza, China and Muslim countries, including Arab states, Türkiye and Iran, share a similar stance calling for peace and an immediate and sustainable ceasefire to save Palestinian lives, and they all support the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights and also to become a full member of the UN… [meanwhile] the Biden administration is now facing increasing internal and external pressures, and even NATO allies like Türkiye are dissatisfied with the role that the US is playing, which allows the bloodshed to continue in the Gaza Strip.”

This broader context likely accounts for the fact that Fidan’s first reported meeting in Beijing, on June 3, was with Politburo member Chen Wenqing, the head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

Their talks focused on security matters. The Xinhua News Agency reported Chen as stating that, guided by the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries, China is willing to work with Türkiye to continuously bring cooperation in the field of security to new heights, enrich and expand the connotations of bilateral ties, protect the security interests of both countries in an improved manner, and contribute actively to the peace and development of both countries, the region and the world.

In his meeting with his Turkish counterpart on June 4, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that building a comprehensive, deep and high-level China-Türkiye relationship is in the fundamental interests of both countries and peoples.

He noted that China and Türkiye are both ancient civilisations and important members of the G20, and are facing profound challenges in the changing international situation, so they should strengthen communication and coordination to make positive contributions to promoting regional peace and global development.

China is willing to maintain multi-level exchanges with Türkiye, play a good role in mechanisms such as the China-Türkiye Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee, promote effective connections between the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and Türkiye’s Middle Corridor Initiative, expand cooperation areas, and explore their potential.

China is also willing to expand imports of high-quality agricultural products from Türkiye, support the continuous improvement of cooperation levels and technological content of enterprises in both countries, and strengthen cooperation in culture, education, tourism, aviation, and other fields.

Wang added that both sides should strengthen coordination and cooperation within the framework of the United Nations (UN) and other multilateral frameworks, support the UN in playing a core role in the global governance system, oppose hegemonism and power politics, oppose a few countries monopolising international affairs, oppose building walls and barriers, “decoupling” and “cutting off supply chains,” maintain the stable operation of the global supply chain and industrial chain, and promote the establishment of a fair and reasonable global governance system.

Fidan said that Türkiye and China have important influence in their regions and globally. China’s development is crucial to world peace and prosperity. Türkiye opposes bloc confrontation, does not agree with or support erroneous actions that suppress China’s development, and does not allow any force to engage in activities on Turkish territory that harm China’s sovereignty and security.

The Middle Corridor Initiative is highly compatible with the Belt and Road Initiative, and Türkiye is willing to cooperate closely with China to achieve more substantive results in trade, investment, finance, agriculture, tourism, education, and other fields through mechanisms such as the China-Türkiye Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee. Türkiye highly appreciates China’s fair and just position on issues concerning Ukraine and the Middle East and looks forward to working constructively with China to make greater contributions to the prosperity and stability of the region and the world.

Both sides also agreed that it is necessary to promote a ceasefire in Gaza and maintain peace and stability in the Middle East. The Palestinian issue is at the core of Middle Eastern issues. The Gaza conflict is currently the focus, and the priority is to achieve an immediate, comprehensive, and permanent ceasefire, improve humanitarian conditions, and release all detained individuals.

Both China and Türkiye support Palestine becoming a full member of the UN and support internal reconciliation in Palestine. China and Türkiye will strengthen cooperation to jointly promote the early and comprehensive, fair, and lasting resolution of the Palestinian issue.

On the Ukraine issue, Wang said that China’s position is firm and consistent, and the aim is to promote peace and dialogue. Although the conditions for negotiations are not yet in place, China is committed to peace and will not stop its efforts. As long as there is a glimmer of hope, every effort must be made to strive for it.

Wang said China believes that the world needs to hear more objective, balanced, positive, and constructive voices on the Ukraine crisis. China and Brazil jointly issued a six-point consensus recently on promoting a political solution to the Ukraine crisis, emphasising adherence to the three principles of cooling the situation: no spillover from the battlefield, no escalation of the conflict, and no provocation by any party. Within just one week, 45 countries from five continents have responded positively to the six-point consensus in different ways, with 26 countries already confirming their participation or seriously studying how to join. China believes that the more people participate in the joint appeal, the greater the hope for cooling the situation and the smaller the risk of escalation of the conflict.

Fidan also met the same day with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.

Earlier, on June 3, Fidan visited the Centre for China and Globalisation (CCG) think tank and delivered a speech.

He discussed the Trans-Caspian East-West Middle Corridor Initiative, noting that this trade route will start from Türkiye and reach China via the Caucasus, Caspian Sea and Central Asia, parallel to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. He also emphasised its benefits in uninterrupted and rapid access to the Black Sea and Mediterranean basins as well as other regions of Europe and Africa.

He further cited Türkiye’s customs union agreement with the European Union (EU) and its pursuit of new opportunities for cooperation with different partners in such platforms as the BRICS cooperation mechanism. According to the South China Morning Post, he said that BRICS could offer “a good alternative” to the EU. Nearly four decades ago, Türkiye applied to join what was then the European Economic Community (EEC), and in 1999 it was officially recognised as a candidate for full membership in the EU. However, Fidan said that due to “identity politics”, meaning the fact that Türkiye is a Muslim majority nation of over 86 million people, its membership has been consistently blocked by some major EU powers. “So, you have to look for other alternatives. Certainly, we would like to become a member of BRICS. So, we’ll see how it goes this year.”

Fidan added that he looked forward to attending the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting, to be held in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod the next week, preparatory to October’s summit in Kazan.

On May 31, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had said that the doors of BRICS were “open to representatives of the most diverse economic and political systems and macro-regions. The only condition is that you must agree to work on the basis of the key principle of the sovereign equality of states.”

In his speech, Fidan also highlighted the rich historical and cultural interactions shaping ties between Türkiye and China, referring to them as two great civilisations. He emphasised that these interactions form the strong and lasting foundation of their partnership, citing significant cultural and commercial exchanges facilitated by the historical Silk Road. He noted that the Ottomans sent many envoys to China carrying Ottoman rifles, which could be considered a form of “technology transfer” during that period.

Referring to the designation of the two countries’ relationship as a “strategic partnership” in 2010, Fidan pointed out the intentions of both sides to expand this cooperation. He underscored President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to China in 2019 and emphasised this partnership, as displayed during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in the Uzbek city of Samarkand in September 2022. Fidan further said that China is Türkiye’s largest trading partner in Asia and third largest in the world, with the bilateral trade volume surpassing $48 billion in 2023, a record high. He also acknowledged the trade imbalance between the two nations in favour of China and underlined the importance of exploring new areas to balance bilateral trade and ensure the sustainability of commercial relations. Fidan also highlighted the crucial role of China’s direct investments in economic ties, emphasising that Türkiye provides an investment-friendly environment for foreign companies.

“Türkiye’s geostrategic position, along with our extensive commercial ties, provides free and easy access to a market of approximately 1.5 billion people and a value of $28 trillion, extending from Europe to the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. All of these are within a flight distance of four hours.”

He also stressed that while Palestinians have long been suffering, this reached an unprecedented level after October 7 last year. “Gaza was once referred to as the world’s largest open-air prison. Now, it has become the world’s largest open-air graveyard. There is currently no place in Gaza that could be considered safe. The humanitarian tragedy unfolding before our eyes has worsened with Israel’s attack on (the city of) Rafah.” He added that Türkiye has been striving to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, prevent the conflict from spilling over into other regions and ensure the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid since Israel’s attacks began in October last year. He further said that Ankara, like Beijing, has highlighted the necessity of an independent, sovereign and geographically contiguous State of Palestine with its capital in East Jerusalem based on the 1967 borders within the framework of a two-state solution.

Another extremely significant aspect of the Turkish Foreign Minister’s trip was that he concluded it in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, visiting both the capital Urumqi as well as the city of Kashgar.

Welcoming his visit, regional party secretary Ma Xingrui said that under the strategic guidance of leaders of the two countries, friendly exchanges and practical cooperation in various fields between China and Türkiye have made positive progress. And thanks to the development of China-Türkiye bilateral relations, exchanges between China’s Xinjiang region and areas in Türkiye have become increasingly close.

Fidan noted that during his visit to China’s Xinjiang region, he observed well-developed urban facilities, social prosperity, and good protection of various ethnic cultures and languages.

Türkiye’s stance on Xinjiang-related issues, he said, is clear and firm. It resolutely opposes terrorism, does not support or participate in anti-China activities using ethnic issues, and does not allow activities in Türkiye that harm China’s security or undermine China’s territorial integrity.

The Xinjiang region is a window for China to cooperate with Central Asia and countries such as Türkiye. Both sides should work together to strengthen anti-terrorism cooperation, expand exchanges and interactions, and promote new progress in cooperation in areas such as trade, agriculture, and civil aviation.

The South China Morning Post reported that in Kashgar, which is widely seen as the “cradle of Uygur culture”, Fidan visited the Mausoleum of Yusuf Khass Hajib, a famous 11th century Turkic poet, and the Id Kah Mosque, the largest in Xinjiang. He tweeted of his visit to Urumqi and Kashgar: “Finally, I visited these two ancient cities thanks to my contacts in China.”

Regarding the economic significance of his visit to Xinjiang, the paper reported Li Lifan, a research fellow from the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, as saying that Türkiye’s implementation of EU standards, due to their customs union, would be attractive to Chinese companies, while cultural and linguistic similarities could also appeal to Uygur entrepreneurs.

He also mentioned that Türkiye is a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation dialogue partner and seeks to become a full member of the organisation.

Earlier, at a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Fidan had said that Urumqi and Kashgar play “a bridging role” between China and the Turkish as well as the Islamic world. “They are symbols of our historical friendship and neighbourhood.”

The South China Morning Post article further noted that two months ago, Xinjiang had also hosted a visit by Bassam Zakarneh, a member of the Revolutionary Council of Palestine’s Fatah party, leading a delegation that also included leaders of left-wing political parties from Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Jordan and Tunisia.

The following articles were originally published by Global Times, the Xinhua News Agency and Daily Sabah.

Wang Yi meets with Arab foreign ministers

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held bilateral meetings with a number of Arab foreign ministers who came to Beijing for the 10^th conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, held on May 30.

When meeting with Iraqi deputy prime minister and foreign minister Fouad Hussein, Wang said that China firmly supports Iraq in safeguarding national sovereignty, security, unity and territorial integrity, supports the Iraqi government in developing the economy, improving people’s livelihood and combating terrorism, and opposes external interference in Iraq’s internal affairs.

In his meeting with Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad Ahmed Attaf, Wang said that China and Algeria are sincere friends and natural partners. China is ready to continue to support and cooperate closely with Algeria to safeguard international fairness and justice, as well as the interests of developing countries, and jointly promote an early, full, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question.

Meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, Wang expressed congratulations on Syria’s return to the Arab League family. China supports the Syrian government in safeguarding national security, stability and development. It is believed that Syria’s return to the Arab League will play a constructive role in the development of China-Arab relations, and China-Syria relations will also gain new impetus with the further development of China-Arab relations.

CGTN further noted that Wang said that China appreciates Syria’s firm support on issues concerning China’s core interests and will, as always, speak out for Syria on multilateral platforms such as the UN Security Council.

Telesur added that both foreign ministers stressed the importance of making progress and intensifying practical cooperation and implementing the agreements reached during President Bashar Al-Assad’s visit to China last year.

Wang Yi also confirmed China’s support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and legitimate right of Syria to recover its occupied lands in the Golan, as well as the fight against terrorism.

He further called on the United States to respect the territorial sovereignty of Syria and demanded that it stop plundering the wealth of its people and remove illegal unilateral measures that violate the development and welfare of nations.

“The heroic Syrian firmness under the leadership of President Bashar Al-Assad and his keen vision as a great leader will lead Syria to overcome all difficulties and achieve prosperity for the Syrian people,” Wang Yi said.

Meeting Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Wang said China is ready to work with Saudi Arabia to consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations, enhance synergy of development strategies, expand cooperation in energy, investment, emerging industries, 5G communications, artificial intelligence, digital economy, aerospace and other fields, and promote green and sustainable development.

During the meeting with Somalian Foreign Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, Wang said that China firmly supports Somalia in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, achieving political stability, promoting security transition, and carrying out economic reconstruction.

China is ready to deepen bilateral cooperation in key areas such as agriculture, fisheries and health, and jointly promote Belt and Road cooperation with Somalia.

Fiqi said that Somalia adheres to the one-China principle, firmly supports China’s position on issues related to national reunification, thanks China for its selfless assistance to Somalia’s peace, security, development and revitalisation, hopes to continue to receive China’s support, and looks forward to more cooperation in infrastructure, energy, investment, health, security and other fields under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum.

Wang Yi also met with the foreign ministers of Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Kuwait, as well as with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States.

Meanwhile, on May 31, Vice Foreign Minister Deng Li met with Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry of Oman Sheikh Khalifa Alharthy. Deng said that China supports Oman in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and stability and in advancing economic diversification, and appreciates Oman’s support for China’s just position on issues related to its core interests. China regards Oman as an important partner in the Belt and Road cooperation, and is willing to strengthen strategic synergy with Oman, promote mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, enhance communication and coordination on regional and international affairs, and achieve more positive progress in China-Oman strategic partnership.

The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency, CGTN, Telesur and on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Top Chinese diplomat meets foreign guests

BEIJING, May 29 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met respectively with foreign guests who came to China to attend the 10th ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, in Beijing on Wednesday.

During the meeting with Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, prime minister and foreign minister of the Government of National Unity of Libya, Wang said that China has always supported Libya in achieving stable development, and safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. China is ready to work jointly with Libya to further consolidate political mutual trust, enhance exchanges, and continuously enrich the connotation of the friendly and cooperative relations between the two sides.

Dbeibah said that Libya attaches great importance to developing relations with China and firmly adheres to the one-China principle. Libya expects China to play a greater role in promoting the early settlement of the Palestinian question.

Hussein said that developing relations with China is a diplomatic priority of the Iraqi government, and Iraq always firmly supports China in safeguarding its core interests. Iraq has been actively participating in the construction of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum and is willing to continue to expand collective cooperation between the two sides, he added.

During the meeting with Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Wang said that China is ready to work with Arab states, guided by the important consensus reached by the heads of state of China and Arab states, to deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and play a constructive role in maintaining world peace and stability and resolving regional hotspots. China is ready to continue to work with the Arab League and Arab countries to promote an early, full, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question.

Gheit said the Arab side is ready to make joint efforts with China to open up broader prospects for richer and more diverse Arab-China relations. The Arab side always firmly adheres to the one-China principle, he added.

During the meeting with Mohamed Salem Ould Merzouk, Mauritania’s minister of foreign affairs, cooperation and Mauritanians abroad, Wang said that China will continue to firmly support Mauritania in pursuing a development path suited to its own national conditions, and oppose external forces interfering in Mauritania’s internal affairs. China is ready to continue to provide assistance within its capacity for Mauritania’s economic and social development, and is ready to cooperate closely with Mauritania to consolidate and expand China-Arab collective cooperation.

Merzouk said Mauritania firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and is ready to work with China to push forward the continuous development of Arab-China and Africa-China relations, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

During the meeting with Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad Ahmed Attaf, Wang said that China and Algeria are sincere friends and natural partners. China firmly supports Algeria in safeguarding national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and opposes external forces interfering in Algeria’s internal affairs. China is ready to continue to support and cooperate closely with Algeria to safeguard the international fairness and justice, as well as the interests of developing countries, and jointly promote an early, full, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question.

Attaf said that Algeria adheres to the one-China principle, and is ready to further strengthen bilateral cooperation on all fronts and promote greater development of bilateral relations.

When meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, Wang expressed congratulations on Syria’s return to the Arab League family. China supports the Syrian government in safeguarding national security, stability and development. It is believed that Syria’s return to the Arab League will play a constructive role in the development of China-Arab relations, and China-Syria relations will also gain new impetus with the further development of China-Arab relations, he added.

Mekdad said under the guidance of the two heads of state, Syria is willing to work with China to promote the lasting and in-depth development of bilateral relations.

When meeting with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, Wang said that China is willing to work with Morocco to deepen exchanges and cooperation in economy, trade, investment, industry, tourism and civil aviation, enhance public support for friendship between the two countries, and open up broader prospects for China-Morocco strategic partnership.

Bourita said Morocco attaches great importance to developing relations with China, and is willing to have close communication and coordination with China under the mechanisms of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

Wang Yi: China-Syria strategic partnership features mutual trust and support

May 29 (CGTN) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday said China and Syria have formed a strategic partnership featuring mutual trust and support.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks while meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, who is in Beijing to attend the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum.

Congratulating Syria on returning to the League of Arab States (AL), Wang said China and Syria announced the establishment of a strategic partnership last September, drawing a new blueprint for bilateral relations.

China supports Syria in safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and supports the Syrian government in safeguarding its national security, stability and development, he said.

Wang said China appreciates Syria’s firm support on issues concerning China’s core interests and will, as always, speak out for Syria on multilateral platforms such as the UN Security Council.

It is believed that Syria’s return to the AL will play a constructive role in the development of China-Arab relations, and China-Syria relations will also gain new impetus, he said.

For his part, Mekdad said Syria fully supports all global initiatives proposed by China and is willing to work with China to build an international order featuring mutual respect, equal treatment and opposition to hegemony.

Syria unwaveringly adheres to the one-China principle, he said, adding that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, a fact that cannot be denied or challenged.

Foreign Ministers of Syria and China Hold Bilateral Meeting

May 29 (Telesur) — Syrian Foreign and Expatriate Minister Faisal Al-Mekdad held talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on relations between the two nations and forms of development.

Both foreign ministers stressed the importance of making progress and intensifying practical cooperation and implementing the agreements reached during President Bashar Al-Assad’s visit to China last year.

During the meeting, they discussed the international situation, especially that of the Gaza Strip and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as the importance of ending the war and the entry of humanitarian aid and the end of the displacement of Palestinians.

Al-Mekdad underscored Syria’s support for China’s Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xining-related causes, and its responsibility for the one-China principle.

For his part, Wang Yi confirmed China’s support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and legitimate right of Syria to recover its occupied lands in the Golan, as well as the fight against terrorism.

He also called on the United States to respect the territorial sovereignty of Syria, and demanded that it stop plundering the wealth of its people and remove illegal unilateral measures that violate the development and welfare of nations.

He added that Syria belongs to the Middle East and there will be no comprehensive solution to the conflict in the region without Damascus.

Chinese FM meets Arab guests

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday met respectively with some Arab guests who came to China to attend the 10th ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in Beijing.

When meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China always gives priority to Saudi Arabia in its foreign relations. The leaders of the two countries have established solid mutual trust and friendship, pointing out the direction for the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Saudi Arabia.

China is ready to work with Saudi Arabia to consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations, enhance synergy of development strategies, expand cooperation in energy, investment, emerging industries, 5G communications, artificial intelligence, digital economy, aerospace and other fields, and promote green and sustainable development, Wang added.

Faisal said that under the care and guidance of the leaders of the two countries, Saudi Arabia-China cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful results. Saudi Arabia will continue to be firmly committed to expanding mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in various fields and promoting the sustainable development of Saudi Arabia-China comprehensive strategic partnership. Faisal thanked China for upholding a just position on the Palestinian issue.

China is ready to deepen bilateral cooperation in key areas such as agriculture, fishery and health, jointly promote the implementation of the Belt and Road cooperation and other global initiatives put forward by China in Somalia, Wang added.

Fiqi said that Somalia adheres to the one-China principle, firmly supports China’s position on issues related to national reunification, thanks China for its selfless assistance to Somalia’s peace, security, development and revitalization, hopes to continue to receive China’s support, and looks forward to more cooperation in infrastructure, energy, investment, health, security and other fields under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum.

During the meeting with Comorian Foreign Minister Dhoihir Dhoulkamal, Wang thanked Comoros for supporting China’s legitimate propositions on issues concerning its core interests and major concerns. China is ready to strengthen exchanges with Comoros at all levels, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, deepen cooperation in poverty alleviation, education and training, medical care and other fields, and import more high-quality products from Comoros.

Dhoulkamal said that Comoros firmly supports China in safeguarding its territorial sovereignty. The Belt and Road Initiative helps Arab and African countries achieve common development, and Comoros will continue to actively participate in it.

When meeting with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, Wang said that China appreciates Kuwait’s active commitment to promoting the solidarity and cooperation between China and Arab states, and supports Kuwait in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs.

China is ready to work with Kuwait to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, actively promote cooperation in renewable energy, sewage treatment, investment, new energy, digital economy, artificial intelligence and other fields, strengthen cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and promote the deepening of China-Kuwait strategic partnership, Wang added.

Al-Yahya said that under the leadership of the two heads of state, Kuwait-China relations have entered the best period in history. Kuwait regards China as a long-term and reliable strategic partner, and looks forward to strengthening high-level exchanges with China, jointly promoting the Belt and Road cooperation, and expanding economic, trade and investment cooperation.

Al-Yahya thanked China for upholding a just position on the Palestinian issue. Kuwait will continue to work to promote the cooperation between Arab states and China to achieve greater results, Al-Yahya said.

Vice Foreign Minister Deng Li Meets with Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry of Oman Sheikh Khalifa Alharthy

June 1 (FMPRC) — On May 31, 2024, Vice Foreign Minister Deng Li met with Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry of Oman Sheikh Khalifa Alharthy, who came to China to attend the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum.

Deng Li said that China and Oman have a traditional friendship, and that in recent years, the political mutual trust between the two countries has been continuously strengthened, and practical cooperation in various fields has been promoted in an orderly manner. China supports Oman in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and stability and in advancing economic diversification, and appreciates Oman’s support for China’s just position on issues related to China’s core interests. China regards Oman as an important partner in the Belt and Road cooperation, and is willing to strengthen strategic synergy with Oman, promote mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, enhance communication and coordination on regional and international affairs, and achieve more positive progress in China-Oman strategic partnership.

Sheikh Khalifa Alharthy said that Oman and China have a time-honored friendship. Oman attaches great importance to the development of the Oman-China strategic partnership, and will continue to firmly support the one-China principle and deepen friendly cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, investment, energy as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Oman appreciates China’s impartial position as a permanent member of the United Nations on regional and international hotspot issues, and is willing to work with China to make unremitting efforts to maintain regional peace and stability.

The two sides also had an exchange of views on the Palestinian question, among others.

China to work with Niger to deepen cooperation

Our special article on the history of the revolutionary struggle of Niger’s Sawaba Party, published on June 4, concluded that: “Today Niger and China have strong economic and political relations.”

The same day, the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry reported that Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong (who prior to his recent appointment served as Ambassador to South Africa) had met in Beijing with the visiting Nigerien Minister of State for National Defence Salifou Mody and his delegation.

Chen said that no matter how the international situation changes, China and Niger have always firmly trusted and supported each other. China is ready to work with Niger to enhance political mutual trust and deepen practical cooperation in various fields for the benefit of the two peoples.

Mody said that China is a trusted strategic partner of Niger and his country is grateful for China’s assistance in Niger’s national construction.

The below article was first published in English translation on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

On June 4, 2024, Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong met with Niger’s Minister of State for National Defense Salifou Mody and his delegation, who are on a visit to China.

Chen Xiaodong said that the friendship between China and Niger has a long history. Regardless of the changes in the international landscape, China and Niger have always firmly trusted and supported each other. China is ready to continuously enhance political mutual trust and deepen practical cooperation in various fields with Niger to benefit the two peoples. The new summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will be held in Beijing in September this year. China welcomes Niger’s active participation in the summit to jointly discuss the development plans for China-Africa and China-Niger cooperation.

Salifou Mody said, Niger adheres to the one-China principle and stands ready to work with China to firmly support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests. Noting that China is a trustworthy strategic partner of Niger, he thanked China for its help in Niger’s national development. Niger is willing to take the Beijing Summit of the FOCAC as an opportunity to further deepen cooperation with China in various fields.

CPC delegation visits Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia to strengthen fraternal ties

A Communist Party of China delegation, headed by Zhao Shitong, Assistant Minister of the Central Committee’s International Department (IDCPC), recently visited Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia to strengthen fraternal ties, at the invitation of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP), Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and Cambodian People’s Party (CPP).

On May 13, the delegation met in Hanoi with Le Hoai Trung, the head of the Vietnamese party’s international commission.

Trung highlighted the sound and practical development in the bilateral relationship and expressed his appreciation for the Chinese people’s assistance to Vietnam’s revolutionary cause, socialist construction and development process through various periods, including the historic Dien Bien Phu Victory, the 70th anniversary of which was recently widely celebrated in Vietnam. He added that the Vietnam-China relationship is a top priority of the Vietnamese party and state.

For his part, Zhao congratulated Vietnam on its great achievements under the leadership of the CPV Central Committee, with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the helm.

Previously, the delegation visited Laos, from May 9-12, and both sides agreed to implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries, deepen exchanges and cooperation between the two parties, and work together to build a high-standard, high-quality, and high-level China-Laos community with a shared future.

It visited Cambodia from May 13-16 and the two parties agreed to deepen party-to-party exchanges, actively cooperate in economic, cultural, youth and other fields, and consolidate and carry forward the ironclad friendship between the two countries.

The following articles were originally published by Nhân Dân and the Xinhua News Agency.

Vietnamese, Chinese Party officials pledge stronger cooperation

May 13 (Nhân Dân) — Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Chairman of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung received Assistant Minister of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee’s International Department Zhao Shitong in Hanoi on May 13.

The officials highly evaluated positive development steps in the bilateral relations since the two historic visits made by the top leaders of the two Parties.

They agreed that the two strategic advisory bodies on foreign affairs of the CPV and CPC will step up their coordination and will work with relevant agencies and localities in a bid to effectively implement the two countries’ high-level common perceptions, joint statements, and bilateral cooperation documents.

Trung highlighted the sound and practical development in the bilateral relations and expressed his appreciation for the Chinese people’s assistance to Vietnam’s revolutionary cause and socialist construction and development process through various periods, including the historic Dien Bien Phu Victory. He went on noting that the Vietnam-China relationship is a top priority of the Vietnamese Party and State.

For his part, Zhao congratulated Vietnam on its great achievements under the leadership of the CPV Central Committee, with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the helm.

Zhao led a delegation from the CPC Central Committee’s International Department to pay a working visit to Vietnam on May 12 and 13. Earlier, he held talks with Vice Chairman of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Ngo Le Van, during which the two sides discussed cooperation orientations between the the two agencies and the promotion of exchanges through the Party channel in the time to come.

CPC delegation visits Laos

VIENTIANE, May 12 (Xinhua) — Zhao Shitong, assistant minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, led a CPC delegation on a visit to Laos from May 9 to 12, at the invitation of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP).

During the visit, Zhao met with Bounthong Chitmany, a politburo member of the LPRP Central Committee, a permanent member of the Secretariat of the LPRP Central Committee, and vice president of Laos.

The Chinese delegation held talks with Khamphanh Pheuyavong, a member of the Secretariat of the LPRP Central Committee and head of the Propaganda and Training Board of the LPRP Central Committee.

The delegation also met with Thongsavanh Phomvihane, head of the LPRP Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations and held talks with heads of the Lao party and government departments.

During the visit, the two sides exchanged views on China-Laos relations and issues of common concern.

Both sides agreed to implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries, deepen exchanges and cooperation between the two parties, and work together to build a high-standard, high-quality, and high-level China-Laos community with a shared future.

CPC delegation visits Cambodia on ties

PHNOM PENH, May 16 (Xinhua) — Zhao Shitong, assistant minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, led a CPC delegation to visit Cambodia from May 13 to 16 at the invitation of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP).

During the visit, Zhao met with Prak Sokhonn, chairman of the Commission for International Relations of the CPP’s Central Committee and first vice president of the Senate, Hun Many, deputy prime minister, and Suos Yara, vice chairman of the Commission for International Relations of the CPP’s Central Committee, as well as representatives of the Youth House for Cambodia-China Friendship.

The two sides exchanged views on China-Cambodia relations and issues of common concern, and agreed to implement the important consensus reached by leaders of both countries.

Both sides also agreed to deepen party-to-party exchanges, actively carry out exchanges and cooperation in economic, cultural, youth and other fields, and consolidate and carry forward the ironclad friendship between China and Cambodia.

China working with UAE and Bahrain on high-quality Belt and Road cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on May 30 and with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain on May 31 respectively. The two Gulf heads of state were visiting China coinciding with the 10th conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, held in Beijing on May 30.

Meeting with Sheikh Mohamed, Xi noted that the UAE is an important comprehensive strategic partner of China. In recent years, China-UAE relations have maintained a sound momentum of development, setting a good example for China-Arab states relations in the new era.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the UAE, Xi said, adding that it is an important juncture for China-UAE relations to build on past achievements and forge ahead.

He added that China stands ready to work with the UAE to continuously promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, strengthen synergy of development strategies, and take the establishment of a high-level committee on China-UAE investment as an opportunity to push for more outcomes in bilateral cooperation.

Noting that at present the trend towards a multipolar world is unstoppable, Xi said multipolarisation in essence should mean mutual respect and peaceful coexistence among different civilisations, systems and paths.

Countries in the Middle East are an important component of the developing countries and an important force in the multipolarisation of the world and China supports countries in the region to continue to follow development paths suited to their national conditions, firmly follow the road of unity and strength, peace and reconciliation, resolve differences through communication and consultation, and hold their future and destiny in their own hands.

Mohamed said that he was very happy to once again visit China, his second hometown. The relations between Arab and Gulf countries and China boast a solid foundation. Deepening and developing relations with China conforms to the common aspiration and fundamental interests of the people of Arab and Gulf countries.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Xi stressed that the top priority is a comprehensive ceasefire and cessation of fighting to ease the humanitarian crisis, and the international community should unanimously support an early negotiated settlement of the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-State solution.

The next day, the UAE head of state met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

Li said China is willing to expand bilateral trade and investment, strengthen cooperation in traditional areas, and explore cooperation in new fields, such as new energy, high technology and artificial intelligence.

China is also willing to improve coordination with the UAE in multilateral mechanisms, such as the United Nations and BRICS, and promote the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future. The UAE joined the BRICS cooperation mechanism on January 1 this year.

Mohamed said the UAE and China enjoy solid and promising relations. He added that the UAE adheres to the one-China principle and will work with China to enhance Belt and Road cooperation.

Also, on May 31, Xi Jinping met with King Hamad of Bahrain. The two leaders announced the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between their two countries, citing it as a new milestone in bilateral relations.

Xi said that, as this year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Bahrain, China is ready to work together to develop their comprehensive strategic partnership and to bring more benefits to the two peoples. He noted that China advocates mutual respect and peaceful coexistence among countries with different systems and civilisations and supports countries in the Middle East to enhance unity and cooperation, achieve peace and reconciliation, and promote development and revitalisation.

China is willing to work with regional countries, including Bahrain, to develop its relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries further, host the second China-Arab States Summit successfully, and accelerate the building of a China-Arab states community with a shared future.

King Hamad said that China is a great country and Bahrain is deeply grateful that China has provided significant support for its national construction. Bahrain hopes to take the establishment of this comprehensive strategic partnership as an opportunity to align the development strategies of the two countries, strengthen practical cooperation in various fields, and achieve its own diversified development. As long as China develops well, other developing countries can do the same, and the process of global multipolarity can continue to advance. Bahrain is firm in its belief that China will realise the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and make greater contributions to world peace and prosperity.

The Bahraini King also briefed Xi on the recent 33rd Arab League Summit, which his country had hosted, focusing particularly on the Arab states’ position on the Palestinian question and the efforts they have made to push for an early end to the Gaza conflict. He expressed his appreciation and thanks to China for always upholding justice, and said he looks forward to China’s greater contributions in that regard.

The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.

Xi holds talks with UAE president

BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Beijing on Thursday.

Xi noted that the UAE is an important comprehensive strategic partner of China. In recent years, China-UAE relations have maintained a sound momentum of development, setting a good example for China-Arab states relations in the new era.

He said China stands ready to work with the UAE to continue to grasp the general direction of bilateral relations from a strategic height and a long-term perspective, and ensure the vigorous development of bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.

Xi said that China supports the UAE in pursuing an independent development path and safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and development interests, and is willing to consolidate political mutual trust and strengthen cooperation with the UAE to jointly build a community with a shared future for humanity.

He said China stands ready to work with the UAE to continuously promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, strengthen synergy of development strategies, and take the establishment of a high-level committee on China-UAE investment and cooperation as an opportunity to push for more outcomes in bilateral cooperation.

Xi called on the two sides to consolidate cooperation in areas such as trade, energy and infrastructure, expand cooperation in high-tech fields such as information technology, artificial intelligence, digital economy and new energy, and strengthen law enforcement and security cooperation.

Xi noted he had recently replied to letters from Chinese language learners in the UAE, encouraging them to master the language, get to know more about China and contribute to promoting friendship between the two countries.

China is willing to continue to support the “Hundred Schools Project” of Chinese language education, push forward the construction of a Chinese culture center in the UAE, enhance people-to-people exchanges, and promote mutual understanding and friendship, he added.

Noting that at present the trend towards a multi-polar world is unstoppable, Xi said multi-polarization in essence should mean mutual respect and peaceful coexistence among different civilizations, systems and paths.

Countries in the Middle East are an important part of developing countries and an important force in the multi-polarization of the world, he said, adding that China supports countries in the region to continue to follow their development paths suited to their national conditions, firmly follow the path of unity and strength, peace and reconciliation, resolve differences through communication and consultation, and hold their future and destiny in their own hands.

Xi said China is ready to work with the UAE and other Arab countries to host the second China-Arab States Summit and promote the building of a community of shared future between China and Arab states.

China is willing to strengthen its strategic partnership with the UAE, expand multilateral cooperation and safeguard the common interests of countries in the Global South, he added.

Mohamed said that he was very happy to once again visit China, his second hometown, and attend the opening ceremony of the 10th ministerial conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum together with President Xi.

He said the relations between Arab and Gulf countries and China boast a solid foundation. Deepening and developing relations with China conforms to the common aspiration and fundamental interests of the people of Arab and Gulf countries.

Mohamed said that UAE-China relations are based on mutual trust, mutual respect and common interests, and cooperation in various fields has reached an extraordinary level.

The UAE attaches great importance to developing relations with China, places China at the top of its diplomatic priority and regards China as a long-term and reliable strategic partner, he said, adding that the UAE is willing to take the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to further deepen and expand cooperation in such areas as economy, trade, investment, energy, science and technology, education and culture.

The government of the UAE firmly adheres to the one-China policy, opposes “Taiwan independence” in any form and supports China’s efforts to achieve national reunification, he said.

Mohamed added that the UAE highly appreciates and actively supports the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by President Xi, will continue to actively participate in the joint construction of the Belt and Road, and is willing to work closely with China in multilateral communication and coordination to promote peace, development and prosperity of the region and the world at large.

Xi said China and the UAE have the same stance on the Palestinian issue and should work together to push for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the issue.

After the talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents in various fields including investment, jointly building the Belt and Road, science and technology, peaceful use of nuclear energy, Chinese education, culture and tourism.

Chinese premier meets UAE president

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) — Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Beijing on Friday.

Noting that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the UAE, Li said China is willing to work together with the UAE to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, enhance traditional friendly relations, deepen political mutual trust, advance pragmatic cooperation, and advance bilateral relations to a new level.

Li said China firmly supports the UAE in pursuing an independent development path and in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and stability.

Li said China is willing to expand bilateral trade and investment, strengthen cooperation in traditional areas, and explore cooperation in new fields such as new energy, high technology and artificial intelligence.

He added that both sides should enhance exchanges and cooperation on culture, education and tourism, promote people-to-people exchanges, and jointly host the celebrations for the 40th anniversary of bilateral ties.

China is willing to improve coordination with the UAE in multilateral mechanisms, such as the United Nations and BRICS, and promote the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future, said Li.

Mohamed said the UAE and China enjoy solid and promising relations. He added that the UAE adheres to the one-China principle and will work with China to enhance Belt and Road cooperation.

The UAE congratulated China on successfully hosting the 10th ministerial conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, said Mohamed, adding that the country is willing to work with China to safeguard the common interests of both sides.

China, Bahrain establish comprehensive strategic partnership

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on Friday announced the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, a new milestone in bilateral relations.

The announcement came as Xi held talks with Hamad, who is in China for a state visit. Hamad also attended the opening ceremony of the 10th ministerial conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in Beijing on Thursday.

Bahrain is a good friend and partner of China in the Gulf region, Xi said, adding that although the two countries have different national conditions, they have always treated each other sincerely and enjoyed friendly relations.

As this year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Bahrain, Xi said China is ready to work with Bahrain to develop their comprehensive strategic partnership and to bring more benefits to the two peoples.

China firmly supports Bahrain’s efforts to safeguard national sovereignty, security and stability, and supports Bahrain’s path of independent development, as well as Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030 and its diversified development strategy, he said.

China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Bahrain in the fields of energy, investment, transportation, new energy and digital economy, and achieve more results in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, Xi said.

Both sides should enhance cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and facilitate personnel exchanges to continuously strengthen public support for the China-Bahrain friendship, Xi said.

He noted that China advocates mutual respect and peaceful coexistence among countries with different systems and civilizations, and supports countries in the Middle East to enhance unity and cooperation, achieve peace and reconciliation, and promote development and revitalization.

He also called on the two sides to strengthen communication and coordination on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, practice true multilateralism, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries.

Hamad said that China is a great country, and Bahrain is deeply grateful that China has provided significant support for its national construction. Bahrain hopes to take the establishment of this comprehensive strategic partnership as an opportunity to align the development strategies of the two countries, strengthen practical cooperation in various fields, and achieve its own diversified development, he added.

Bahrain has strong appreciation for and agrees fully with China’s noble values and rational and wise policy propositions, Hamad said. As long as China develops well, other developing countries can do the same, and the process of global multipolarity can continue to advance. Bahrain is firm in its belief that China will realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and make greater contributions to world peace and prosperity, he added.

He noted that Bahrain abides by the one-China principle, supports China’s peaceful reunification, and is willing to work closely with China through multilateral cooperation to ensure people of all countries enjoy equal rights to subsistence and development. Bahrain is ready to work with China to push for an early completion of the GCC-China Free Trade Agreement, carry forward the spirit of the Arab states-China friendship, and join hands to build an Arab states-China community with a shared future in the new era.

Hamad briefed Xi on the recent 33rd Arab League Summit, focusing particularly on the Arab states’ position on the Palestinian question and the efforts they have made to push for an early end to the Gaza conflict. He expressed his appreciation and thanks to China for always upholding justice, and said he looks forward to China’s greater contributions in that regard.

Xi stressed that China and Bahrain share the same stance on the Palestinian question. China appreciates the common voice the Arab states use to discuss the Palestine-Israel issue at the Arab League Summit, and stands ready to work with Bahrain and other Arab states to push for the early, comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question.

After their talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signature of a number of bilateral cooperation documents in such fields as investment, green and low-carbon development, and e-commerce and the digital economy.

The two sides also issued a joint statement on the establishment of their comprehensive strategic partnership.

Xi Jinping meets with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi was one of four Arab heads of state to pay a state visit to China coinciding with the 10^th conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF), held in Beijing on May 30.

In a round of bilateral meetings with his counterparts, Chinese President Xi Jinping met first with Sisi on May 29.

Xi noted that, 68 years ago, Egypt was the first Arab and African state to establish diplomatic relations with China. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership, he said, adding that over the past decade, the two heads of state have worked together to guide the vigorous development of bilateral relations.

China-Egypt relations have become a vivid illustration of China’s solidarity, coordination, and mutually beneficial win-win cooperation with Arab, African, Islamic and developing countries, Xi continued, adding that under the new circumstances, building a more enriched and dynamic China-Egypt relationship meets the common expectations of the two peoples.

China supports Egypt in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs, and stands ready to further strengthen coordination and cooperation on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the BRICS cooperation mechanism, advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalisation, and jointly safeguard international fairness and justice, as well as the common interests of developing countries.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Xi said that the current round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict has caused heavy casualties of innocent Palestinian civilians and the humanitarian situation in Gaza is extremely grave, and China is deeply saddened. It is imperative to cease fire and stop the war immediately, avoid the spillover of conflict which will impact regional peace and stability, and prevent a more serious humanitarian crisis.

The following day, Sisi met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

Hailing China and Egypt as good friends and partners of solidarity and mutual assistance for joint development, Li said that China is willing to work with Egypt to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, carry forward their traditional friendship, continuously strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and push the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries to a new level.

Sisi expressed willingness to work with China to further expand cooperation in agriculture, trade, new energy, communications, and high technology under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative so as to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, and better benefit the two peoples.

The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.

Xi holds talks with Egyptian president

BEIJING, May 29 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Beijing on Wednesday.

China-Egypt relations have become a vivid illustration of China’s solidarity, coordination, and mutually-beneficial win-win cooperation with Arab, African, Islamic and developing countries, Xi said, adding that under the new circumstances, building a more enriched and dynamic China-Egypt relationship meets the common expectations of the two peoples.

Xi said that China is ready to work with Egypt to deepen mutual trust, advance cooperation, build a China-Egypt community with a shared future in the new era, and contribute to regional and world peace, stability, development and prosperity.

Xi stressed that China is striving in all aspects to build a strong and prosperous country and achieve national rejuvenation, and China and Egypt are facing historic opportunities for exchanges and cooperation in various fields. The two sides should continue to firmly support each other and work together to promote common development, Xi added.

China is ready to work with Egypt to tap the potential of cooperation in traditional areas such as infrastructure, industry, electricity and agriculture, explore cooperation in emerging areas such as health care, information and communications, and renewable energy, deepen economic, trade and investment cooperation, and encourage more Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Egypt, Xi said.

Xi urged efforts to organize the 2024 China-Egypt year of partnership, expand personnel and cultural exchanges, and make the Luban Workshop in Egypt a benchmark for China-Africa vocational education cooperation.

China supports Egypt in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs, and stands ready to further strengthen coordination and cooperation with Egypt on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS cooperation mechanism, advocate an equal and orderly multi-polar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and jointly safeguard international fairness and justice, as well as the common interests of developing countries, Xi said.

Joint statement of China and Arab states on the question of Palestine

The tenth ministerial conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF) was held in Beijing on May 30. The opening session was attended by four Arab heads of state as well as by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who delivered an opening address. Ministers from China and the 22 members of the League of Arab States attended the conference.

Among the conference outcomes, the most significant was the adoption of a 21-point joint statement on the question of Palestine. Showing a high degree of unity between China and the Arab world, and among the Arab states themselves, the comprehensive joint statement calls, among other things, for the implementation of relevant United Nations resolutions, condemns Israeli aggression, calls for a sustained ceasefire, and for the implementation of the interim measures issued by the International Court of Justice in response to the legal case brought against Israel by the government of South Africa under the Genocide Convention. It supports the admission of Palestine to the United Nations as a full member state, the convening of an international peace conference, and calls for Palestinian national unity under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). It further calls for an end to Israel’s settlement program in occupied territories and protection of the Arab, Islamic and Christian attributes of the city of Jerusalem.

We carry below the full text of the joint statement. It has been machine translated and sub-edited by us, including by cross checking with other unofficial translations. The full Chinese language text, as released by the Xinhua News Agency, may be read here.

Joint Statement of China and Arab States on the Question of Palestine

On May 30, 2024, the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum was held in Beijing, during which the two sides had in-depth discussions on the Palestinian issue.

The two sides believe that the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, including UN Security Council Resolution 2728, must be fully and effectively implemented, and that joint efforts should be made to promote an early ceasefire and cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible and to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue at an early date. The parties agreed on the following:

The two sides condemn Israel’s continued aggression against the Palestinian people. More than 125,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed or injured in the Gaza Strip, most of them women and children. The Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip have been forced to suffer deadly famine and blockades, cutting off all their livelihoods, systematically destroying residential areas, hospitals, schools, mosques, churches and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, and detaining and ill-treating thousands of Palestinian prisoners.
The two sides condemned the invasion of the city of Rafah, the bombing of refugee camps and the control of the Rafah crossing.
The two sides oppose the implementation of plans, intentions and acts of forcibly transfering the Palestinian people outside their national territory, which will destroy the opportunity for peace in the Middle East region and lead to the expansion and deterioration of the conflict in the region.
The two sides call on the Security Council to issue binding resolutions to achieve an immediate, comprehensive and sustained ceasefire, to stop the forcible transfer of the Palestinian people, to ensure the delivery of relief supplies throughout Gaza, and to implement the relevant Security Council resolutions so that life in the Gaza Strip can return to normalcy. Both sides condemn the use of the veto by the United States to prevent Palestine from becoming a full Member of the United Nations.
The two sides support the Interim Measures Orders issued by the International Court of Justice on 26 January, 28 March and 24 May 2024 concerning the case against Israel brought by South Africa for violating the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and hold that Israel should comply with the relevant legal provisions, in particular international humanitarian law. Both sides stressed that Israel, as the occupying power, bears responsibility for the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
The Arab side stresses the importance of implementing the resolutions of the Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Joint Summit held in Riyadh on 11 November 2023, including breaking the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip and enabling the immediate access of humanitarian relief supplies from Arab and Islamic countries and the international community to the entire Gaza Strip by land, sea and air. The Chinese side expressed its understanding.
The two sides stress that peace, security and stability cannot be achieved in the region without an end to the occupation of the territory of the State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, the occupied Syrian Golan Heights and the occupied Lebanese territory. Calling upon the international community to take irreversible steps towards the independent establishment of Palestine and to achieve a political settlement based on international law and relevant international resolutions, including Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 497 (1981), 1515 (2003) and 2334 (2016), as well as all the elements of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, so as to enable the Palestinian people to fulfil their legitimate and inalienable rights. These include the right to self-determination, the right to establish an independent State of Palestine based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the right to return and reparation for Palestinian refugees under United Nations General Assembly resolution 194 (1948). The two sides support the admission of the State of Palestine as a full Member of the United Nations and reaffirmed that the two-State solution is the only realistic way out of the Palestinian question.
The two sides call for the convening of a larger-scale, more authoritative and more effective international peace conference as soon as possible, and the initiation of an authoritative peace process on the basis of recognised international principles. The above process should be carried out within a defined time frame and with international guarantees until the end of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, including East Jerusalem, along with the occupied Syrian Golan Heights and the remaining occupied Lebanese territories.
The two sides support the Palestinian Government in carrying out its duties in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem in accordance with recognised international principles. The Gaza Strip is an integral part of the State of Palestine. Both sides stressed their support for the relief efforts of the Palestinian Government in Gaza. The two sides reaffirmed that the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) is the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and called on all Palestinian factions to unite under the PLO banner and assume their respective responsibilities in a national partnership under the leadership of the PLO.
The two sides welcome the adoption by the UN General Assembly of resolution A/RES/ES-10/23 on 10 May 2024. The resolution affirmed that the State of Palestine was eligible to become a full Member of the United Nations and requires the Security Council to reconsider supporting Palestine’s accession to the United Nations and to grant more rights and interests to the State of Palestine.
The two sides called for support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to avoid its closure. They welcomed the resumption of funding by some countries to the Agency, and called on countries that had frozen their funding to resume their support for the Agency. They welcomed the results of the independent investigation into the work of the Agency, recognised the neutrality and professionalism of the Agency and believe that it is indispensable and irreplaceable.
The two sides welcome the recent recognition of the State of Palestine by many countries, stressing that this was a driving force for achieving the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and for international and regional peace, security and stability, and called upon those countries that have not yet recognised the State of Palestine to do so as soon as possible.
The Arab side appreciates China’s long-standing position on supporting the Palestinian issue and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people in bilateral and multilateral forums, and appreciates Chinese President Xi Jinping’s proposals on resolving the Palestinian question, as well as a series of initiatives and propositions put forward by China on the Palestinian question. It appreciates China’s adherence to fairness and justice on the Palestinian issue and its unremitting efforts to promote the peace process. It appreciates China’s support for Palestine in improving people’s livelihood and developing the economy, providing humanitarian assistance to Palestine, and its commitment to promoting the State of Palestine to become a full member of the United Nations.
Both sides stressed that Israel’s unilateral measures aimed at changing the status quo in Jerusalem are invalid and support the protection of Islamic and Christian monuments in occupied Jerusalem by the Hashemite family and its role in protecting the Arab, Islamic and Christian attributes of the city and maintaining the current historical and legal status of Jerusalem and its holy sites. The two sides stressed the need to uphold the Al-Aqsa Mosque’s current historical and legal status.
The two sides condemn the continued promotion by the government of Israel of the targeted settlement programme aimed at changing the existing historical and legal status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.
The Parties support the efforts of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco as Chairman of the Jerusalem Committee. They stressed the important role played by the Chairman of the Jerusalem Committee and the efforts of the Jerusalem Wealth House Agency, an institution under the Committee.
The two sides support Egypt in taking all measures to respond to the impact of the aggression in the Gaza Strip and rely on Egypt’s efforts to deliver relief supplies to the Gaza Strip in an immediate and sustained manner and in sufficient quantities. The two sides expressed their support for the measures taken by Egypt to safeguard its national security, which is also a fundamental component of the security of the Arab nation.
The two sides support the joint efforts of Egypt and Qatar to promote a lasting ceasefire and bring life back to normal in the Gaza Strip. Both sides support the role played by Egypt and Algeria in bringing about reconciliation among the Palestinian factions.
The two sides appreciate the role played by Algeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the Palestinian issue during their tenure as non-permanent members of the Security Council, including their efforts to promote the adoption of relevant UN Security Council resolutions on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and to promote the State of Palestine to become a full member of the United Nations.
The two sides appreciate the appeal of the Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Qatar for immediate action to help all Palestinian orphans who have lost their parents and families as a result of the aggression against Gaza. They call on all states and the international community to work together to provide the necessary medical and psychological support to orphans and amputee children within the framework of the relevant efforts of the League of Arab States.
The two sides appreciate Algeria’s efforts to support the question of Palestine at the political and material levels, as well as President Tebboune’s active efforts, in particular the convening of the intra-Palestinian reconciliation conference among the various factions on 13 October 2022 and the adoption of the Algiers Declaration, which is a positive step on the road to national unity in Palestine.

Celso Amorim: Brazil-China relations have strategic significance

A recent visit to China by Celso Amorim, special advisor to the president of Brazil, marks a significant milestone not only in bilateral relations but also in the collective international diplomacy and independent position of the Global South.

On May 23, Amorim met China’s top foreign affairs official Wang Yi, who said that that China and Brazil are both major developing countries and emerging economies, as well as major members of BRICS, and their relations go beyond the bilateral scope and have strategic and overall significance.

Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of China-Brazil diplomatic ties, Wang said that the two countries should systematically review their successful experience over the last half century.

He went on to observe that the world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, adding that it is heartening to see that the Global South countries represented by China and Brazil have achieved a collective rise and promoted a more balanced and reasonable structure of world power.

China will fully support Brazil’s work as the rotating presidency of the G20 this year, adding that China also attaches importance to promoting cooperation with the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and is willing to strengthen coordination with Brazil to push for greater development of relations between China and Latin American countries.

Amorim also said that Brazil-China relations go beyond the bilateral scope and have strategic significance, adding that the sound development of Brazil-China relations is not only beneficial to the two countries, but also plays an important role in safeguarding the common interests of developing countries and is conducive to world peace and stability.

He noted that that China is Brazil’s largest market, and the trade volume between the two countries is close to 200 billion US dollars and this still has great potential for further development.

Brazil and China share the same position on many major issues, he continued, and Brazil supports Latin America and China in strengthening cooperation, and is willing to closely coordinate and cooperate with China on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, the G20 and BRICS to uphold multilateralism and oppose hegemonism.

Most significantly, the two sides exchanged in-depth views on the Ukraine crisis and jointly issued the “Common Understandings Between China and Brazil on Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis.”

In contrast to the one-sided and unrealistic initiatives of the imperialist powers and the present Ukrainian government, China and Brazil believe that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the crisis. All parties should create conditions for the resumption of direct dialogue and push for the de-escalation of the situation until the realisation of a comprehensive ceasefire. China and Brazil support an international peace conference held at a proper time that is recognised by both Russia and Ukraine, with equal participation of all parties as well as fair discussion of all peace plans.

They affirm that the use of weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons and chemical and biological weapons, must be opposed. All possible efforts must be made to prevent nuclear proliferation and avoid nuclear crisis. Attacks on nuclear power plants and other peaceful nuclear facilities must be opposed. All parties should comply with international law including the Convention on Nuclear Safety and resolutely prevent man-made nuclear accidents. This last point clearly refers to the repeated, dangerous and irresponsible shelling by Ukrainian armed forces of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), which is presently controlled by the Russian army.

This six-point declaration is a vivid illustration of the rise of multipolarity and of the fact that the days when a handful of oppressor nations could dictate world affairs to the exclusion of the global majority are over.

The next day, at the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s regular press conference, spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that more countries are welcome to jointly play a constructive role in de-escalating the Ukraine crisis and promoting talks for peace. These six common understandings reflect not just the joint position of China and Brazil, but also the widespread concern and genuine desire of the vast international community for promoting a political settlement, he added.

“Many developing countries, including China and Brazil, have called for upholding an objective and just position on the Ukraine crisis,” he noted, adding that all of these countries believe that dialogue and negotiation is the only viable way out. The “common understandings”, though jointly initiated by China and Brazil, are meant for the world.

“We welcome more countries, developing and developed countries alike, to support and endorse these common understandings, and jointly play a constructive role in de-escalating the situation and promoting talks for peace.”

The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.

Top Chinese diplomat meets special advisor to Brazilian president

BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) — Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with Celso Amorim, special advisor to the president of Brazil, in Beijing on Thursday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said that China and Brazil are both major developing countries and emerging economies, as well as major members of BRICS, and bilateral relations go beyond the bilateral scope and have strategic and overall significance.

Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of China-Brazil diplomatic ties, Wang said that the two sides should systematically review the successful experience of the development of bilateral relations in the past 50 years. They should take into account the changes in the international situation and the respective development strategies of both countries while making strategic plans with a forward-looking vision, so as to inject new connotations into China-Brazil relations, set new development goals, and jointly embrace the next “golden 50 years.”

Wang noted that the world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, with the international situation becoming chaotic and intertwined and hotspot issues emerging one after another.

It is heartening to see that the “Global South” countries represented by China and Brazil have achieved a collective rise and promoted a more balanced and reasonable structure of world power, he said.

China will fully support Brazil’s work as the rotating presidency of the G20 this year, and stands ready to work with Brazil and other G20 members to ensure the success of the G20 Rio Summit, said Wang, noting that China attaches importance to promoting cooperation with the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and is willing to strengthen coordination with Brazil to push for greater development of relations between China and Latin American countries.

Noting that Brazil-China relations go beyond the bilateral scope and have strategic significance, Amorim said that the sound development of Brazil-China relations is not only beneficial to the two countries, but also plays an important role in safeguarding the common interests of developing countries and is conducive to world peace and stability.

Amorim said that Brazil attaches great importance to cooperation with China, adding that China is Brazil’s largest market, and the trade volume between the two countries is close to 200 billion U.S. dollars, which still has great potential for development.

Amorim said that Brazil is ready to communicate closely with China, plan cooperation in various fields, expand the scale of trade and investment, expand new fields such as artificial intelligence and the digital economy, and constantly enrich the connotation of Brazil-China comprehensive strategic partnership.

Noting that Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attaches great importance to poverty eradication, and China has made remarkable achievements in this regard, Amorim said the two sides can strengthen exchanges and cooperation.

Amorim said that Brazil and China share the same position on many major issues. Brazil supports Latin America and China in strengthening cooperation, and is willing to closely coordinate and cooperate with China on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, the G20 and BRICS to uphold multilateralism and oppose hegemonism.

The two sides exchanged in-depth views on the Ukraine crisis and jointly issued the “Common Understandings Between China and Brazil on Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis.” The two sides agreed that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way out of the crisis, and all parties should create conditions for the resumption of direct dialogue.

The two sides also expressed their support for an international peace conference recognized by Russia and Ukraine at an appropriate time, with the equal participation of all parties, and fair discussion of all peace proposals.

Members of the international community are welcome to support and endorse the common understandings, jointly provide a strong voice to cool the situation, and play a constructive role in promoting peace talks, said the document.

Chinese FM holds talks with Tanzanian counterpart

The long-standing friendship between China and Tanzania was reaffirmed with a recent visit to Beijing by Tanzania’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, January Yusuf Makamba.

On May 17, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi welcomed Makamba’s visit to China on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. He said that China-Tanzania relations had always been at the forefront of China-Africa relations over the past six decades, which set a good example for developing countries to seek strength through solidarity and mutual assistance.

He added that China appreciated Tanzania’s long-term valuable support on issues concerning China’s core interests and was willing to continue to firmly support Tanzania in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests, and in independently exploring a development path suited to its national conditions.

Wang went on to say that the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is the most important platform and mechanism for strengthening solidarity and cooperation between China and Africa. A new FOCAC summit will be held in Beijing this autumn. China sincerely invites Tanzania to join in this event together with other African countries and make a greater contribution to the building of an even stronger China-Africa community with a shared future.

Noting that Tanzania and China enjoy profound traditional friendship, Makamba said that the two countries had always trusted and supported each other since the establishment of diplomatic ties 60 years ago. Upholding the one-China policy is the cornerstone of Tanzania’s relations with China and Tanzania will continue to unswervingly support China on issues concerning its core interests and major concerns.

The following article was originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.

BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with January Yusuf Makamba, Tanzania’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, in Beijing on Friday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, welcomed Makamba’s visit to China on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. He said that China-Tanzania relations had always been at the forefront of China-Africa relations over the past 60 years, which set a good example for developing countries to seek strength through solidarity and mutual assistance.

China is willing to deepen political mutual trust, strengthen strategic alignment, expand practical cooperation and inject new connotation of the era into the China-Tanzania comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership guided by the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, Wang said.

He said that China appreciated Tanzania’s long-term valuable support on issues concerning China’s core interests, and was willing to continue to firmly support Tanzania in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests, and independently exploring a development path suited to its national conditions.

The two sides should expand cooperation in key areas such as trade and infrastructure, and tap potential for cooperation in processing and manufacturing, digital economy, blue economy and new energy, Wang added.

Wang said that the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is the most important platform and mechanism for strengthening solidarity and cooperation between China and Africa. A new FOCAC summit will be held in Beijing this autumn. China sincerely invites Tanzania to join in this event together with other African countries and make greater contribution to the building of an even stronger China-Africa community with a shared future.

Noting that Tanzania and China enjoy profound traditional friendship, Makamba said that the two countries had always trusted and supported each other since the establishment of diplomatic ties 60 years ago. Upholding the one-China policy is the cornerstone of Tanzania’s relations with China, and Tanzania will continue to unswervingly support China on issues concerning China’s core interests and major concerns.

Tanzania looks forward to enhancing exchanges of experience on governance, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields and working closely with China on international and regional issues. Tanzania will actively participate in this year’s FOCAC summit and believes that the summit will achieve greater success, he said.

The two sides also exchanged in-depth views on international and regional issues of common concern.

Nepali Prime Minister: Nepal will continue to strengthen cooperation with China

China has moved to further develop its friendly relations with Nepal, particularly with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) (CPNMC), which currently leads the country’s ruling coalition.

On April 27, Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is also known as Prachanda and who is the leader of the CPNMC, said in his capital Kathmandu that Nepal will unswervingly support China on issues concerning her core interests and looks forward to continuing to strengthen cooperation with China in various fields. He was meeting with Luo Zhaohui, head of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, who was leading a delegation to the country.

With the exchange of high-level visits and the implementation of bilateral agreements between the two countries, Nepal-China relations have been elevated to a new height, stated the prime minister.

He said that the Nepali side sincerely thanks China for its support and assistance in Nepal’s economic and social development, poverty reduction and anti-epidemic efforts.

Prachanda voiced hope that the two sides will further strengthen cooperation in the fields of infrastructure connectivity, tourism, healthcare, education, agriculture and water conservancy, promote high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and implement the Global Development Initiative (GDI).

For his part, Luo noted that China and Nepal are good neighbours connected by mountains and rivers, good partners in mutually beneficial cooperation and good friends helping each other.

He added that the proposal of building a China-Nepal trans-Himalayan multi-dimensional connectivity network in particular charts a strategic direction for the sustainable development of bilateral relations.

Earlier, on April 18, Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee (IDCPC), met with a delegation of senior cadres of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) led by Dev Prasad Gurung, General Secretary of the party.

Liu said that the Chinese side supports the Nepali side in exploring a development path that suits its national conditions and is willing to help Nepal prosper and develop. The CPC attaches great importance to its friendly relations with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre). Under the new situation, it is willing to expand exchanges between the two parties, deepen exchanges and mutual learning of experience in state governance and administration, and promote practical cooperation between the two sides in agriculture, investment, infrastructure, border trade and tourism.

Gurung said, the Nepali side thanks the Chinese side for its long-term support and assistance in safeguarding national sovereignty and independence and achieving economic and social development and hopes to work with the Chinese side to jointly promote Belt and Road cooperation, as well as enhance the level of connectivity between the two countries.

The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency and on the website of the IDCPC.

Nepali PM voices firm support for China in safeguarding core interests

KATHMANDU, April 27 (Xinhua) — Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said on Friday that Nepal will unswervingly support China on issues concerning China’s core interests and looks forward to continuing to strengthen cooperation with China in various fields.

Dahal, also known as Prachanda, made the remarks while meeting in Kathmandu with Luo Zhaohui, head of the China International Development Cooperation Agency.

With the exchange of high-level visits and the implementation of bilateral agreements between the two countries, Nepal-China relations have been elevated to a new height, stated the prime minister.

He said that the Nepali side sincerely thanks China for its support and assistance in Nepal’s economic and social development, poverty reduction and anti-epidemic efforts.

Dahal voiced hope that the two sides will further strengthen cooperation in the fields of infrastructure connectivity, tourism, healthcare, education, agriculture and water conservancy, promote high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and implement the Global Development Initiative.

For his part, Luo noted that China and Nepal are good neighbors connected by mountains and rivers, good partners in mutually beneficial cooperation and good friends helping each other.

Luo said the proposal of building a China-Nepal trans-Himalayan multi-dimensional connectivity network in particular charts a strategic direction for the sustainable development of bilateral relations.

He suggested that both sides should implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, strengthen the alignment of strategic plans, deepen practical cooperation and push bilateral relations to a new level.

During his stay in Nepal, Luo also met respectively with Sher Bahadur Deuba, president of the Nepali Congress party and former prime minister, K.P. Sharma Oli, chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) and former prime minister, and held talks with Nepal’s Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun and signed related cooperation documents.

Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song was present at the meetings.

Liu Jianchao Meets with a Delegation of Senior Cadres of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center)

BEIJING, April 18 (IDCPC) — Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met here today with a delegation of senior cadres of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) led by Dev Prasad Gurung, General Secretary of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center).

Liu said, in recent years, under the joint leadership of President Xi Jinping and Nepali leaders, relations between the two countries have continued to develop. The Chinese side supports the Nepali side in exploring a development path that suits its national conditions, and is willing to help Nepal prosper and develop. The CPC attaches great importance to its friendly relations with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center). Under the new situation, it is willing to expand exchanges between the two Parties, deepen exchanges and mutual learning of experience in state governance and administration, and promote practical cooperation between the two sides in agriculture, investment, infrastructure, border trade and tourism through “political party +” and other channels, so as to push China-Nepal relations to a new level.

Gurung said, the Nepali side thanks the Chinese side for the long-term support and assistance in safeguarding national sovereignty and independence and achieving economic and social development, and hopes to work with the Chinese side to jointly promote Belt and Road cooperation, as well as enhance the level of connectivity between the two countries. The Nepali side firmly adheres to the one-China principle and does not allow any force to use Nepal’s territory for anti-China activities. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) highly admires the CPC’s governance achievements and governance concepts, and is willing to further strengthen exchanges between the two Parties, deepen theoretical exchanges, promote Nepal-China relations for healthy development, and promote regional peace, development and stability.

Sun Haiyan, Vice-minister of the IDCPC, was present.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Foreign Ministers’ meeting promotes regional cooperation

A meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was held in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan, on May 20-21.

The meeting was preparatory to the Astana SCO Summit, which is scheduled to be held on July 3-4.

Presiding over the meeting, Murat Nurtleu, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, welcomed participants and called for a moment of silence to honour Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, and others who died in the helicopter crash on May 19.

The meeting agreed to enhance cooperation in ensuring regional security and combating terrorism, extremism, separatism, drug trafficking, and cybercrime, among other areas. A special focus was placed on the organisation’s growth, with Belarus expected to complete all necessary procedures for admission to full membership at the July summit.

Addressing the ministers, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed his deep condolences to the people and leadership of Iran following the tragic death of President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian. He also acknowledged the participation of Iranian representatives despite their nation’s difficult time and welcomed Belarus to its first Foreign Ministers’ Council in Astana.

Amid global strategic uncertainty, Tokayev stressed the importance of an integrated approach that considers all parties’ interests and the constant search for compromises. He voiced his belief that the time has come to collectively promote the ideals and values of peaceful and harmonious development for the sake of all humanity.

Addressing the situation in Afghanistan, he stressed the need to prevent a humanitarian crisis and create conditions for long-term stabilisation. He reiterated the importance of Kazakhstan’s initiative to establish the United Nations’ Regional Centre for Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.

In his speech to the meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that SCO member countries have been important partners for China in high-level opening-up and high-quality development.

Valuing the SCO’s role, Wang said the Shanghai Spirit, which features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilisations and pursuit of common development, has become the fundamental principle of the SCO’s continuous growth and a banner for promoting new types of international relations.

He put forward four suggestions during the meeting: to maintain strategic autonomy and strengthen unity and cooperation; to share security responsibilities and lift cooperation to higher levels; to pursue inclusive and win-win cooperation and empower joint development; and to embrace openness and inclusiveness and deepen exchanges and mutual learning.

China is willing to work with SCO partners to actively advocate for a multipolar world with equality and order and inclusive economic globalisation, and to promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, he added.

In a meeting with the Kazakh President on May 20, Tokayev asked Wang to convey his sincere greetings to President Xi Jinping, noting that China’s international status continues to rise and its role in the world is increasingly significant. The country is making greater contributions to global peace and stability, and the international community is paying more attention to China’s voice. He looked forward to the Chinese President’s state visit in July.

He also highly evaluated Kazakh-Chinese relations within the framework of international organisations, including the United Nations (UN), Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

“Kazakhstan has been and remains a reliable partner of China. We are doing everything possible to implement the agreements that were reached earlier. We are working together and advancing our relationship into the future,” he added.

Wang responded that China would continue to firmly support Kazakhstan in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, support President Tokayev’s series of development strategies and important measures, and resolutely oppose any external forces interfering in Kazakhstan’s internal affairs.

During the country’s historical process of building a New Kazakhstan, China is willing to be a reliable and long-term partner, supporting the diversification of Kazakhstan’s economic development and promoting cooperation in emerging industries such as e-commerce, new energy and artificial intelligence.

The same day, Wang Yi met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu, with the two men jointly meeting the press following their talks.

Wang said that, as Kazakhstan recently suffered from severe floods, China is willing to continue providing as much help as possible to assist in the reconstruction work.

He further noted that both sides spoke highly of the fruitful outcomes of their cooperation. According to Chinese statistics, bilateral trade reached 41 billion US dollars last year, achieving the target set by the two heads of state seven years ahead of schedule. To date, 26 out of the 45 capacity cooperation projects have been completed, in such sectors as mining and metals, energy resources, machinery manufacturing, building materials, chemicals and infrastructure construction. Cooperation in oil and gas and in nuclear energy is also accelerating.

Both sides praised the success of the China-Central Asia Summit in Xi’an, held in May 2023, which has ushered in a new phase of enhanced cooperation between China and Central Asia.

The Chinese side is eager to work alongside the Central Asian nations to strengthen and optimise the China-Central Asia cooperation mechanism, aiming to build a stable, prosperous, harmonious, and interconnected Central Asia, thereby injecting strong vitality into the building of a China-Central Asia community of shared future, Wang said.

Both sides will work to advance the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilisation Initiative, unequivocally oppose unilateralism and hegemonic behaviours, and promote the development of global governance towards a more just and reasonable direction.

Xi Jinping: China and Arab countries witnessing mutual trust and vibrant practical cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping has said that the Arab countries are playing an increasingly important role in strengthening solidarity and cooperation for the Global South and in upholding their common interests.

His statement came in a congratulatory message to King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the rotating chairperson of the Council of Heads of the League of Arab States, on the convening of the 33rd Arab League Summit in Bahrain. He also said that China is ready to work with Arab countries to build a China-Arab community with a shared future at a higher level.

Xi stressed that the current China-Arab ties are in the best period in history. He said that in December 2022, he attended the first China-Arab States Summit with leaders of Arab states in Saudi Arabia, drew up a comprehensive blueprint for the development of China-Arab relations, and agreed to make all-out efforts to build a China-Arab community with a shared future for the new era.

At the end of May, the 10th ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum will be held in Beijing, Xi noted, expressing his hope that the two sides will take the meeting as an opportunity to further deepen cooperation in various fields, so as to better benefit the two peoples.

The following article was originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.

China is ready to work with Arab countries to build a China-Arab community with a shared future at a higher level, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday.

Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory message to King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the rotating chairperson of the Council of Heads of the League of Arab States, over the convening of the 33rd Arab League Summit in Bahrain.

Xi noted that the Arab League has long been committed to pushing for unity and self strengthening in the Arab world, and promoting peace, stability and development in the Middle East.

In recent years, facing changes in the world, the times and history, Arab countries have adhered to independence, promoted development and revitalization, upheld fairness and justice, and safeguarded regional peace and stability, Xi said, adding that Arab countries are playing an increasingly important role in strengthening solidarity and cooperation for the “Global South” and in upholding their common interests.

Xi stressed that the current China-Arab ties are in the best period in history. He said that in December 2022, he attended the first China-Arab States Summit with leaders of Arab states, drew up a comprehensive blueprint for the development of China-Arab relations, and agreed to make all-out efforts to build a China-Arab community with a shared future for the new era.

For more than a year, China and Arab countries have witnessed deepening political mutual trust, vibrant practical cooperation, as well as rich cultural and people-to-people exchanges, Xi said, adding that their cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful outcomes.

Looking to the future, China is ready to work with Arab countries to continue carrying forward the spirit of the China-Arab friendship, build a China-Arab community with a shared future at a higher level, and contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, he said.

At the end of this month, the 10th ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum will be held in Beijing, Xi said, expressing his hope that the two sides will take the 10th ministerial meeting as an opportunity to further deepen cooperation in various fields, so as to better benefit the two peoples.

Fruitful visit to Northern Ireland by Ambassador Zheng Zeguang

Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom Zheng Zeguang paid the second visit of his tenure to Northern Ireland at the beginning of May, meeting with First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly on May 1.

O’Neill is a leading member of Sinn Féin and the first nationalist and republican to serve as First Minister. Emma Little-Pengelly belongs to Northern Ireland’s second largest party, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

According to the Chinese Embassy in London, the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on further developing the friendship and cooperation between China and Northern Ireland.

Ambassador Zheng congratulated the two major political parties in Northern Ireland on successfully forming a new Northern Ireland Executive and introduced China’s economic and social development.

China’s economy grew by 5.2% last year and expanded by 5.3% in the first quarter of this year. Facts show that the fundamentals of China’s economy stay unchanged and will not change in the future. This will continue to provide more opportunities for practical cooperation in various fields between China and Northern Ireland.

He noted that local cooperation is an important foundation for state-to-state relations. China appreciates Northern Ireland’s long-standing commitment to exchanges and cooperation with China. Collaboration between the two sides in fields such as business, trade, education, culture, and tourism have yielded fruitful outcomes.

Northern Ireland enjoys excellent natural conditions and great potentials for development. China encourages Chinese businesses, students, and tourists to invest, study, and travel in Northern Ireland and welcomes more Northern Ireland investment, quality products and students in China.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly welcomed Ambassador Zheng on his second visit to Northern Ireland. They said that the Northern Ireland government attaches importance to developing its relationship with China.

In recent years, Northern Ireland and China had close cooperation in business, trade, education, agriculture, and tourism, bringing tangible benefits to both sides. Northern Ireland welcomes more Chinese investments, supports broader education collaboration between universities in Northern Ireland and China, welcomes Chinese students and tourists to study and vacation in Northern Ireland, and hopes to strengthen personnel exchanges and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with China.

The same day, Ambassador Zheng Zeguang attended and addressed the first China-UK/Northern Ireland Education Cooperation Forum held at Ulster University in Belfast at invitation and delivered a keynote speech titled “Openness and cooperation is the right way forward.”

Over the 75 years since the founding of New China, he said, great accomplishments have been achieved in education. China has put in place the world’s largest education system, with more than 510,000 education institutions of different types at all levels, 293 million university, secondary and primary school students, and more than 18.8 million full-time teachers. The popularity of China’s basic education at different stages has reached or exceeded the OECD [a grouping of mostly developed countries] average and China is now upgrading its higher education to achieve greater quality. Education advancement has in turn accelerated technological innovation. By the end of 2023, China owned close to five million valid invention patents, ranking first in the world.

In recent years, however, there have been constant noises from some politicians in the West, using “national security” as an excuse to push for “decoupling” of economies, severing of industrial and supply chains, and creation of “small yards with high fences”, while pointing fingers at China and obstructing exchanges and collaboration. This must be firmly rejected. Facts have and will continue to prove that China-UK educational collaboration is mutually beneficial and has broad prospects.

Dr Colin Davidson, Chancellor of Ulster University, said that his university is proud of its extensive collaboration with universities such as Hubei Normal University and the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts. It is committed to building a sustainable future for the world and will continue to work with its Chinese partners to deepen cooperation in culture, education and scientific research towards shared goals.

The following articles were originally published on the website of the Chinese Embassy in London.

Ambassador Zheng Zeguang meets with First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly of Northern Ireland

May 3 (Chinese Embassy in the UK) — On 1 May 2024, during his visit to Northern Ireland, H.E. Ambassador Zheng Zeguang met with First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly of Northern Ireland.

The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on further developing the friendship and cooperation between China and Northern Ireland.

Ambassador Zheng congratulated the two major political parties in Northern Ireland on successfully forming a new Northern Ireland Executive, and introduced China’s economic and social development.

Ambassador Zheng said that China, committed to modernisation through a Chinese path, is striving for high-quality development, faster growth of new quality productive forces, greater domestic demand, and opening up at a higher level.

Ambassador Zheng noted that local cooperation is an important foundation for state-to-state relations. China appreciates Northern Ireland’s long-standing commitment to exchanges and cooperation with China. Collaboration between the two sides in fields such as business, trade, education, culture, and tourism have yielded fruitful outcomes.

They wish the China-UK/Northern Ireland Education Cooperation Forum to be held on the day full success.

The meeting was also attended by Chinese Consul General in Belfast Zhang Meifang, and Counsellor for Political Affairs Kong Xiangwen.

Ambassador Zheng Zeguang attended the first China-UK/Northern Ireland Education Cooperation Forum and delivered a keynote speech

May 4 (Chinese Embassy in the UK) — On 1 May 2024, H.E. Ambassador Zheng Zeguang attended and addressed the first China-UK/Northern Ireland Education Cooperation Forum held at Ulster University in Belfast at invitation and delivered a keynote speech titled “Openness and cooperation is the right way forward”.

Ambassador Zheng commended Ulster University for itsstrong sense of openness and fully recognised its fruitful cooperation with Hubei Normal University, the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts and other Chinese institutions.

Ambassador Zheng pointed out thatitis China’s long-standing tradition to value education and respect teachers, and that education has always been a priority for the Chinese government. Over the 75 years since the founding of New China, great accomplishments have been achievedon education. China has put in place the world’s largest education system, with more than 510,000 education institutions of different types at all levels, 293 million university, secondary and primary school students, and more than 18.8 million full-time teachers. The popularity of China’s basic education at different stages has reached or exceeded the OECD average, and China is now upgrading its higher education to greater quality. Education advancement has in turn accelerated technological innovation. By the end of 2023, China owned close to 5 million valid invention patents, ranking first in the world. China’s total input in R&D and investment in the high-tech sector has been growing at double-digit rates for several years running. China now has around 400,000 high-tech enterprises and ranks second globally in the number of unicorn companies.

Ambassador Zheng pointed out that China is taking concrete steps to promote high-quality development and accelerate the creation of new-quality productive forces. In this process, China is further prioritising education, science and technology, and talent cultivation. China remains committed to openness and international exchanges in education. China has carried out educational exchanges with more than 180 countries, signed agreements on mutual recognition of qualifications and academic degrees with 58 countries and regions. 85 countries have incorporated Chinese language teaching into their national education curricula, and more than 30 million people outside of China are studying the language.

Ambassador Zheng pointed out that the world today is undergoing deep transformation and increasing volatility, humanity is facing multiple common challenges, and a new round of industrial and technological revolution is unfolding at pace. Now more than ever, countries need to enhance education cooperation, work together to cultivate more talent with a global vision, and find solutions to common challenges. In recent years, however, there have been constant noises against it from some politicians in the West, using “national security” as an excuse to push for “decoupling” of economies, severing of industrial and supply chains, and creation of small yards with high fences, while pointing fingers at China and obstructing exchanges and collaboration. This must be firmly rejected. Facts have and will continue to prove that China-UK educational collaboration is mutually beneficial and has broad prospects. China is committed to a steady and mutually beneficial China-UK relationship on the basis of mutual respect and equality. It is hoped that people from all walks of life in both countries will not be swayed by noises or disturbed by obstructions, and will continue to promote mutual learning and mutually beneficial collaboration between the two countries. The Chinese Embassy and Consulates in the UK will, as always, provide support and facilitation for UK’s educational exchanges and collaboration with China.

Dr Colin Davidson, Chancellor of Ulster University, said that Ulster is proud of its extensive collaboration with universities such as Hubei Normal University and the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts. It is committed to building a sustainable future for the world and will continue to work with its Chinese partners to deepen cooperation in culture, education and scientific research towards shared goals.

Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly Mr Edwin Poots, Consul General of China in Belfast Ms Zhang Meifang, and President of Hubei Normal University Professor Lei Rujin also delivered remarks. The event was attended by around 200 people, including Deputy Lieutenant of the County Borough of Belfast Professor Alastair Adair, and Minister Counsellor for EducationMs Zhang Jin,Minister Counsellor for Press and Public Affairs Mr Bi Haibo, and Political CounsellorMr Kong Xiangwen at the Chinese Embassy, as well as representatives from cities and counties and headteachers from primary and secondary schools in Northern Ireland. Chinese and British students presentedfantastic cultural and artistic programmes with ethnic characteristics.

During the Forum, Ambassador Zheng and Chancellor Davidson witnessed the signing of an agreement between Hubei Normal University and Ulster University to establish a Centre for Education, Culture and Language Exchange andjointly unveiled the plagued of the Centre.

Joint Statement between the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation

Following talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Beijing on May 16, the first day of the Russian President’s state visit to China, the two countries adopted and signed a joint statement.

Divided into ten sections and running to nearly 8,500 words, the statement reflects the high degree of synergy between the two major developing countries and comprehensively deals with the full spectrum of bilateral relations, foreign policy issues and key questions facing humanity.

It begins by noting that, in 2024, China and Russia solemnly celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Over the past 75 years, China-Russia relations have gone through an extraordinary course of development. The Soviet Union was the first country in the world to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the People’s Republic of China recognized the Russian Federation as the legal successor of the Soviet Union and reiterated its willingness to develop China-Russia relations on the basis of equality, mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation.

Under the unremitting efforts of both sides, China-Russia relations follow the national interests of the two countries, uphold the spirit of good-neighbourliness and friendship forever, and maintain healthy and stable development.

They pointed out that the current China-Russia relations transcend the military and political alliance model of the Cold War era and are characterized by non-alignment, non-confrontation and not targeting third parties.

And they stressed that the development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era is in line with the fundamental interests of the two countries and their peoples, and is not a matter of expediency, nor is it affected by a single incident, and has strong endogenous power and independent value.

Russia reaffirmed its adherence to the one-China principle, recognized that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China, opposed any form of “Taiwan independence”, and firmly supported China’s measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and achieve national reunification. China supports Russia’s efforts to maintain its own security and stability, development and prosperity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and opposes external forces’ interference in Russia’s internal affairs.

The two sides pointed out that the world’s major changes are accelerating, and the status and strength of emerging powers in the “Global South” are constantly increasing and the acceleration of world multipolarisation is becoming more and more obvious. Countries that adhere to hegemonism and power politics go against this trend and attempt to replace and subvert the universally recognized international order based on international law with a “rules-based order”.

The two sides believe that all countries have the right to independently choose their development model and political, economic, and social systems according to their own national conditions and the will of the people and oppose interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states, oppose unilateral sanctions and “long-arm jurisdiction” without a basis in international law or authorization by the UN Security Council, and oppose drawing lines based on ideology. They point out that neo-colonialism and hegemonism completely run counter to the current trend of the times, and call for equal dialogue, the development of partnerships, and the promotion of exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations.

China and Russia will continue to firmly defend the results of the victory of the Second World War and the post-war world order enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, and oppose the negation, distortion, and falsification of the history of World War II. They plan to solemnly celebrate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the Soviet Union’s Patriotic War in 2025 and jointly promote a correct view of the history of World War II.

The two sides will further deepen military mutual trust and cooperation, expand the scale of joint exercises and training activities, regularly organize joint maritime and air patrols, strengthen coordination and cooperation under bilateral and multilateral frameworks, and continuously improve the ability and level of the two sides to jointly respond to risks and challenges.

They believe that, in accordance with the basic principle of sovereign equality of states in international law, international obligations regarding the immunity of states and their property (including sovereign reserves) must be strictly observed. The two sides condemn attempts to confiscate foreign assets and property, and stress that the victim state has the right to take countermeasures in accordance with international law.

This refers particularly to the multiple measures taken, and under consideration, by the imperialist powers against Russia. However, they are also threatened against China and have been deployed against a range of other countries, including Afghanistan, Venezuela, Iran, the DPRK and Equatorial Guinea, among others.

Having surveyed bilateral economic relations in detail, the statement also refers to some of their international ramifications.

Venezuelan President Maduro meets with CPC delegation

A delegation of the Communist Party of China, headed by Vice Minister of the International Department (IDCPC) Chen Zhou, recently visited Venezuela, meeting with President Nicolás Maduro on May 8. The Venezuelan head of state was joined by First Lady Cilia Flores and a number of senior officials.

During the meeting, Maduro expressed his intention to continue strengthening the joint work between the CPC and the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), and to continue to exchange historical experiences and knowledge to mutual benefit.

The Venezuelan president emphasised that Venezuela and China “have the challenge of building a new world.” As a part of this, a Venezuelan delegation recently paid a working visit to Beijing to agree on new and deeper relations with the Communist Party of China as well as with the country’s National People’s Congress (NPC).

In addition, it is proposed to incorporate study of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era into the PSUV’s training programs.

The Chinese ambassador in Caracas, Lan Hu, also expressed his satisfaction with the achievements and progress made between the two nations. “We are here to implement the strategic and important consensus between you [Nicolás Maduro] and your counterpart President Xi Jinping,” he said, “to serve our people, to benefit socio-economic development, to promote the right path to the future, aligned to the reality of both countries, and also to jointly build a new world, a multipolar world and a world of common future for humanity.”

The below article was originally published in Spanish by Ultimas Noticias. This English language translation was published in Orinoco Tribune.

The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, held a meeting with a delegation of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), led by the vice minister of the International Department of the party, Chen Zhou.

In the meeting, reported by a Venezuelan presidency press release this Wednesday, May 8, the Venezuelan head of state was accompanied by First Lady Cilia Flores; Deputy Nicolás Maduro Guerra; the vice minister for Latin America of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, Rander Peña; and the vice minister for Asia, the Middle East, and Oceania, Tatiana Pugh.

On the Chinese side, Zhou was accompanied by the ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, Lan Hu; the Discipline Inspector of the CPC Central Committee Feng Jicai; the deputy director general for Latin America and the Caribbean, Wang Nan; and the head of the Andean Community Section of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, Zhou Xiangmeng.

During the meeting, the Venezuelan leader expressed his intention to continue strengthening the joint work between the CPC and the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), and to continue to exchange historical experiences and knowledge to mutual benefit.

President Maduro highlighted the fact that the CPC collects the historical synthesis of the Chinese people, and the PSUV, for its part, has maintained over the course of the 21st century the history of struggle of the Venezuelan people.

Venezuela and China have the challenge of building the new world

The Venezuelan president emphasized the fact that Venezuela and China “have the challenge of building a new world.” As a part of this, a Venezuelan delegation recrntly held a work agenda in Beijing to agree on new deep relations with the Communist Party of China and with the National Assembly of China.

The deputy to the Venezuelan National Assembly and president of the China-Venezuela Parliamentary Friendship Group, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, accompanied this delegation, highlighting in his report that China has human beings as its core, and it is their humanist and caring philosophy that allowed them to lift over 800 million Chinese citizens out of poverty.

“We are united by the human vision of development,” Maduro Guerra stated during his participation in the presidential program Con Maduro+ on Monday, May 6. “We are united by the flags of shared humanity, because in the end humanity is on this planet, and President Xi Jinping has expressed his humanity in our community of common destiny.”

In addition, the proposal arose to study the thought of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, also known as Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, to be incorporated into the PSUV training programs.

The Chinese ambassador in Caracas, Lan Hu, also expressed his satisfaction with the achievements and progress made between the nations. “We are here to implement the strategic and important consensus between you [Nicolás Maduro] and your counterpart President Xi Jinping,” he said, “to serve our people, to benefit socio-economic development, to promote the right path to the future, aligned to the reality of both countries, and also to jointly build a new world, a multipolar world and a world of common destiny for humanity.”

#Noticia 📰| Presidente sostuvo encuentro con delegación del Comité Central del Partido Comunista de China ➡️ https://t.co/yzYM97rrwA pic.twitter.com/Pojwk2NWqF
— Prensa Presidencial (@PresidencialVen) May 8, 2024

Putin in China: A new world is taking shape before our eyes and becoming multipolar

Russian President Vladimir Putin paid a state visit to China from May 16-17 at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. It was Putin’s first foreign trip since he began his fifth term as Russian President and the 43rd meeting between the two leaders.

In their talks, the two sides made a comprehensive review of the successful experience in developing the China-Russia relationship and had an in-depth exchange of views on their relationship as well as major international and regional issues of mutual interest, charting the course forward for their cooperation across the board.

Xi stressed that this year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. In the past three quarters of a century, the China-Russia relationship has grown stronger amidst wind and rain and stood the test of a changing international landscape. It has become a fine example for major countries and neighbouring countries to treat each other with respect and candour and pursue amity and mutual benefit.

The most important conclusion drawn from the 75-year history of China-Russia relations is that two neighbouring major countries must always promote the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, respect each other on an equal footing, trust each other, accommodate each other’s concerns, and truly provide mutual assistance for the development and revitalisation of both sides, Xi noted, adding that this is not only the correct way for China and Russia to get along, but also the direction that major-country relations should strive for in the 21st century.

Putin expressed his pleasure to visit China again after he was sworn in as Russian president for a new term. Noting that President Xi also paid a state visit to Russia in March last year, shortly after his re-election as Chinese president, Putin said that it is a friendly tradition between the two countries, which demonstrates that both sides attach high importance to enhancing the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era.

The development of Russia-China ties is not out of expediency or targeted at any third party, Putin said, adding that it benefits international strategic stability.

After the talks, Xi and Putin signed and issued the Joint Statement of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation on Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for the New Era in the Context of the 75th Anniversary of China-Russia Diplomatic Relations and witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents.

They also made statements to the press.

Xi Jinping said China and Russia have served as a role model by showing others the ways of building state-to-state ties of a new kind and working together as two major neighbouring powers.

“Our commitment to the following five principles has made all of this possible.

“The first principle involves demonstrating mutual respect and firm commitment to supporting each other on matters dealing with the core interests of both sides. Our two countries are committed to acting in the spirit of non-alignment with any blocs, rejecting confrontation and refraining from targeting any third countries while demonstrating our steadfast commitment to confidence building measures on political matters, respecting the development trajectories we choose for ourselves and firmly supporting each other as we strive for shared prosperity and revival.

“The second principle consists of promoting a win-win approach to shaping a new architecture of mutually beneficial cooperation. We must support networks promoting fundamental research, unleash our cooperation potential in high-technology sectors, step up our cooperation on border crossings, transport and logistics, and ensure the stable operation of global manufacturing and supply chains.

“The third principle deals with maintaining our centuries-old friendly ties and passing on this friendship from one generation to another. People from average Chinese families read Pushkin’s and Tolstoy’s books, while traditional Chinese culture, including the Beijing Opera and Taichi, have been very popular among Russians.

“The fourth point is that we must act in the spirit of strategic cooperation to set various visions of global governance on the right track. China and Russia have been firmly advocating a UN-centred system of international relations and an international order based on international law.

“We express our firm commitment to working together in the context of Russia’s BRICS chairmanship this year and when China assumes the SCO [Shanghai Cooperation Organisation] presidency in the second half of the year by forging a comprehensive, closely-knit, result-driven and inclusive high-level partnership for uniting the Global South and making it stronger.

“The fifth principle deals with promoting a political settlement for hotspots in the interest of truth and justice. Today’s world is still plagued by Cold War mentality. Aspirations to securing a unilateral hegemony, bloc-based confrontation and power politics pose a direct threat to peace and security for all countries around the world. President Putin and I discussed the need to achieve an immediate settlement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to resolve the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution and in keeping with the UN resolution.”

For his part, Vladimir Putin said: “I would like to emphasise that this state visit takes place in the year of the 75th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. Our country was the first to recognise the People’s Republic of China on October 2, 1949, the day after its declaration. We also provided substantial assistance to it at the initial stage of the development of its political system, state institutions and the economy.

Turning to current economic issues, he added: “The enhancement of trade and investment ties [has been] greatly aided by the coordinated measures implemented to shift payments between our countries into national currencies. Currently, the ruble and yuan comprise over 90 percent of Russian-Chinese commercial transactions, with this proportion steadily increasing. This trend signifies that our mutual trade and investment are securely protected from the influence of third countries and adverse developments on global currency markets.

He also remarked that: “Our talks have reaffirmed that Russia and China have similar or identical views on many international and regional issues. Both countries have an independent and sovereign foreign policy. We are working together to create a fairer and more democratic multipolar world order based on the central role of the UN and its Security Council, international law, cultural and civilisational diversity, as well as a calibrated balance of interests of all members of the international community. Acting from these positions, Russia and China are fruitfully working together in BRICS, where Russia is holding the chairmanship this year, and in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the chairmanship of which China will take over in July. Of course, our countries are resolved to continue working to align the integration processes underway within the framework of the EAEU [Eurasian Economic Union] with China’s Belt and Road Initiative, with a view to ultimately creating a Greater Eurasian Partnership.”

The two leaders also held a personal meeting, in which President Xi noted that, having lasted three quarters of a century, China-Russia relations have grown from strength to strength despite the ups and downs. and have stood the test of changing international landscape. Over the years, he and President Putin have met more than 40 times and stayed in close communication, providing strategic guidance that has ensured the sound, steady and smooth development of the relationship. The China-Russia relationship today is hard-earned, and the two sides need to cherish and nurture it.

Steady development of China-Russia relations is not only in the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples, but also conducive to peace, stability and prosperity of the region and the world at large. On the new journey, China is ready to work with Russia to stay each other’s good neighbour, good friend and good partner that trust each other, continue to consolidate the lasting friendship between the two peoples, and jointly pursue respective national development and revitalisation and uphold fairness and justice in the world.

Premier Li Qiang also met with the Russian leader.

Li said that in recent years, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China and Russia have been developing bilateral relations on the basis of non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party. He added that their practical cooperation in various fields has been steadily promoted, people-to-people and sub-national exchanges have flourished, and public support for friendly relations between the two countries has been increasingly consolidated, setting an example of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between major countries.

Noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic ties, Li said China is willing to work with Russia to follow the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, consolidate and carry forward their long-standing friendship, deepen cooperation in various fields, promote the common development of China and Russia, better benefit the two peoples, and contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

He added that China is ready to work with Russia to further synergy and deepen cooperation between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, promote regional integration, enhance trade liberalisation and facilitation, and deepen cooperation in such areas as economy, trade, energy and connectivity.

The two sides should take the China-Russia Years of Culture as an opportunity to further promote cooperation in the fields of cultural tourism, sports, youth, medical and health care, and continuously enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

Noting that Russia-China relations have reached the highest level, Putin said Russia is willing to work with China to take the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties as an opportunity to further strengthen cooperation in such fields as economy, trade, energy, agriculture and infrastructure construction, make the Russia-China Years of Culture a success, deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and push the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era to a new level.

That evening the two presidents attended the opening ceremony of the China-Russia Years of Culture and a special concert celebrating the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic ties.

Xi said that: “Last year, President Putin and I agreed to make 2024 and 2025 the China-Russia Years of Culture. The two sides officially launched this cultural event today.” He added that the two countries will hold a series of cultural exchange programs to further release the potential of bilateral cultural cooperation and jointly open up a new future of China-Russia cultural exchanges.

The second day of President Putin’s visit was spent in Harbin, the capital of China’s northeast Heilongjiang Province and a city with deep historical connections to Russia since the nineteenth century.

Accompanied by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, Putin attended the opening ceremony of the 8th China-Russia Expo in the city.

In his congratulatory letter, which was read by Han Zheng, Xi said that with the joint efforts of the two countries, China-Russia relations have made solid progress step by step and delivered tangible cooperation outcomes to the benefit of the two peoples.

Stressing that after years of cultivation and development, the China-Russia Expo has become an important platform for promoting bilateral economic and trade cooperation, he added that it is hoped that all sectors of the two countries will make full use of the opportunity presented by the current China-Russia Expo to deepen exchanges and share opportunities, jointly contribute to the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Russia, and inject new impetus into the development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.

Noting that Russia cherishes the tradition of friendly cooperation with China, Putin expressed the hope that the two sides will tap the potential and actively leverage the role of the expo to push for new progress in bilateral cooperation in such fields as economy, trade, investment, energy, industry, high and new technology, cross-border transportation, tourism, agriculture and local affairs, to bring more benefits to the two peoples.

After the opening ceremony, Han met with Putin.

Han said China-Russia cooperation has enjoyed a sound momentum in recent years.

The Belt and Road Initiative has been further aligned with the Eurasian Economic Union, and a number of major projects have been smoothly advanced, adding that the China-Russia Expo was a beautiful “business card” of bilateral economic and trade cooperation. It is believed that with the joint efforts of the two sides, bilateral cooperation will surely achieve more results, benefit the two peoples and contribute to world development and progress.

For his part, Putin called on the two sides to closely coordinate and cooperate, strengthen practical cooperation in various fields, further promote local cooperation between Russia’s far east and China’s northeast region, and push for better development of bilateral relations.

Putin also visited the Harbin Institute of Technology, where he delivered a speech to Chinese and Russian students and faculty members, noting how the institute had originally been established by Russian professionals as a Russian-Chinese technical college to train personnel for the Chinese Eastern Railway.

Whilst in Harbin, President Putin also laid flowers at the monument to the Soviet Red Army soldiers who gave their lives in the liberation of northeast China from Japanese militarism and visited the Russian Orthodox Church of the Intercession.

In a press conference concluding his visit, Putin answered a large number of questions from the international media and stated:

“Of course, it is necessary to strengthen the emerging multipolar world. There is absolutely no doubt that a new world is taking shape before our eyes and becoming multipolar. I believe all the people are aware of this. It is important that those who are trying to maintain their monopoly on making decisions on all issues globally should realise this (I believe that they do realise it perfectly well). Understanding this, they should do everything possible to facilitate this natural process. I repeat, this process should be peaceful and conflict-free, with the opinions of all parties to the international process fully considered. All of us should seek compromises while making the difficult decisions that lie ahead.”

Meanwhile, coinciding with the state visit, a memorial plaque commemorating the former head of the Soviet expert group to China Ivan Vasilievich Arkhipov was unveiled in the Russian city of Kaluga, southwest of Moscow, on May 15.

The ceremony was attended by representatives from China and Russia as well as Arkhipov’s descendants.

At the ceremony, Minister Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Moscow Liu Qinghua noted that Arkhipov significantly contributed to helping New China revitalise its national economy and achieve the goals of the first Five-Year Plan, adding that he made unremitting efforts to consolidate and continue the friendship between the two peoples.

Arkhipov, who died in 1998, led the work of the former Soviet expert group to China in the 1950s. He received multiple awards from both countries for his contribution to their bilateral ties. He always remained highly respected in China, even when the Soviet Union and China became estranged on the state level and official relations were hostile.

The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency and on the websites of the Russian Presidency and the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

China decries historical injustice against the Palestinian People

May 15 marked the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, the catastrophe that saw the destruction of the historic Palestinian homeland and the uprooting and ethnic cleansing of the indigenous population at the hands of Zionist colonisers in 1948.

At the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s regular press conference that day, spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that:

“Seventy-six years on, the historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people, far from being redressed, has further worsened. Today’s Gaza Strip is left in ruins and rubble. Those wounded and ill cannot receive timely treatment, those hungry cannot obtain necessities, and those escaping from the disaster have nowhere to go.

“People cannot help but ask, for how long will the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza drag on and when will the Palestinian people be able to see an end to their suffering?”

Reporting Wang’s remarks, the Palestine Chronicle further recapped China’s recent expressions of support for the struggle of the Palestinian people, including repeated calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, support for Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations, and affirming, at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the legality of the Palestinian armed struggle against occupation. In this regard, it recalled Chinese official Ma Xinmin’s statement to the ICJ that:

“The struggle waged by peoples for their liberation and right to self-determination, including armed struggle against colonialism, occupation and aggression, should not be considered terror acts.”

The following article was originally published by Palestine Chronicle.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during a press conference on Wednesday that the “historical injustice” of the Nakba “has further worsened”.

Wenbin’s remarks were made during his regular press conference on May 15, which marked the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, the Catastrophe, the destruction of the Palestinian homeland – historic Palestine – and the mass ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population in 1948.

“Seventy-six years on, the historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people, far from being redressed, has further worsened,” Wenbin said.

“Today’s Gaza Strip is left in ruins and rubble. Those wounded and ill cannot receive timely treatment, those hungry cannot obtain basic necessities, and those escaping from the disaster have nowhere to go,” the Chinese official added.

“People cannot help but ask, for how long will the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza drag on and when will the Palestinian people be able to see an end to their suffering?”

Wenbin also reiterated that “China firmly opposes the expansion of the fighting to Rafah and opposes collective punishment on the people in Gaza.”

He also said that China continues to “support the establishment of an independent State of Palestine that enjoys full sovereignty based on the 1967 border and with east Jerusalem as its capital.”

Calls for Ceasefire

China has repeatedly called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and affirmed its support for full membership of Palestine in the United Nations.

During a press conference on the sidelines of the second session of the National Council in Beijing last March, the Chinese minister said that “the failure to end this humanitarian disaster today, in the 21st century, is a tragedy for humanity and disgrace for civilization,”

“Nothing justifies the protraction of the conflict or the killing of the civilian population,” he added.

Wang Yi also affirmed his country’s strong support for the “just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights”.

He stressed that China “will continue to work with the international community to restore peace, save lives, and uphold justice” adding that China supports “Palestine’s bid to become a full member state of the United Nations.”

Right to Armed Struggle

On February 21, China sharply criticized the United States for vetoing a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Beijing said the move effectively gave a “green light to the continued slaughter” of Palestinians.

One day later, addressing the International Court of Justice, the Chinese representative said the Palestinians’ use of armed struggle to gain independence from foreign and colonial rule is “legitimate” and “well-founded” in international law.

“In pursuit of the right to self-determination, Palestinian people’s use of force to resist foreign oppression and complete the establishment of an independent state is (an) inalienable right well founded in international law,” Ma Xinmin told the ICJ in The Hague.

Citing resolutions by the UN General Assembly, Beijing’s envoy to the top world court said that people struggling for self-determination could use “all available means, including armed struggle.”

“The struggle waged by peoples for their liberation, right to self-determination, including armed struggle against colonialism, occupation, aggression, domination against foreign forces should not be considered terror acts,” Ma stated in his address to the ICJ, citing international conventions.

Genocide Continues

Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 35,233 Palestinians have been killed, and 79,141.

Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.

Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.

The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.

The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.

Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.

Minister Liu Jianchao meets with SWAPO delegation

The historic ties between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the SWAPO (South West African People’s Organisation) Party of Namibia were reaffirmed with a recent visit by a SWAPO delegation led by Sophia Shaningwa, Secretary General of the party.

Meeting Liu Jianchao on May 14, the Minister of the CPC International Department (IDCPC) said that China and Namibia fought side by side during Namibia’s struggle for national independence and forged a profound friendship. (China consistently supported the armed struggle led by SWAPO against apartheid colonialism and imperialism from the early days, with Sam Nujoma, the father of the Namibian nation, forging a revolutionary friendship with successive generations of Chinese leaders from Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai onwards.)

Liu added that the CPC and SWAPO are both political parties that work tirelessly for the interests of the people. The close ties between the two parties are an important cornerstone for the inheritance and development of relations.

Shaningwa said that Namibia-China friendship was jointly created by leaders from the older generations of the two countries and has grown stronger over time. SWAPO regards the CPC as a close comrade and a true friend. It hopes to learn experience in party building and state governance from the CPC, enhance high-level exchanges between the two parties, strengthen cooperation in cadre training and other fields, and promote the relations between the two parties and the two countries.

The following article was originally published on the website of the IDCPC.

Beijing, May 14th—Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met here today with a delegation led by Sophia Shaningwa, Secretary General of the SWAPO Party of Namibia.

Liu said, China and Namibia fought side by side during Namibia’s struggle for national independence and forged a profound friendship. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have continuously strengthened political mutual trust and achieved fruitful results in cooperation in various fields. The Chinese side is willing to work with the Namibian side, under the leadership of the two heads of state, to inherit China-Namibia friendship, deepen political mutual trust, strengthen practical cooperation in various fields, and better benefit the two countries and the two peoples.

Liu said, the CPC and the SWAPO Party are both political parties that work tirelessly for the interests of the people. The close ties between the two Parties are an important cornerstone for the inheritance and development of relations. The CPC is willing to strengthen high-level exchanges with the SWAPO Party, deepen mutual learning of experience in state governance and administration, support each other in safeguarding the sovereignty, security, and development interests of the two countries, promote exchanges and cooperation between youth and women’s organizations affiliated to the two Parties, and push China-Namibia comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership for constant development.

Shaningwa said, Namibia-China friendship was jointly created by leaders from the older generations of the two countries and has grown stronger over time. The Namibian side thanks the Chinese side for its selfless assistance in agriculture, infrastructure construction and other aspects, and hopes to comprehensively strengthen cooperation with the Chinese side in all areas. The SWAPO Party regards the CPC as a close comrade and a true friend. It hopes to learn experience in party building and state governance from the CPC, enhance high-level exchanges between the two Parties, strengthen cooperation in cadre training and other fields, and promote the relations between the two parties and the two countries for greater development.

Li Mingxiang, Vice-minister of the IDCPC, was present.

Putin: Russia-China relations have reached the highest level ever

Following his decisive victory in the presidential election, held March 15-17, Vladimir Putin was sworn in on May 7 to serve his fifth term as President of the Russian Federation. On May 16-17, he paid a state visit to the People’s Republic of China, his first foreign visit since his inauguration.

On the day prior to his visit, the Xinhua News Agency released an extensive written interview with the Russian leader. In highlighting the various reasons for his choice of destination, Putin wrote:

“I have emphasised on many occasions that our peoples are bound by a long and strong tradition of friendship and cooperation. That is one of the most important pillars of bilateral relations. During World War II, Soviet and Chinese soldiers stood up together against Japanese militarism. We remember and value the contribution of the Chinese people to the common victory. It was China that held back major forces of Japanese militarists, making it possible for the Soviet Union to focus on defeating Nazism in Europe. And, of course, we are grateful to our Chinese friends for their careful attitude to war memorials, to the memory of Soviet citizens who had fought for the liberation of China and supported the revolutionary struggle of the Chinese people, their righteous fight against the invaders. Today, Russia-China relations have reached the highest level ever, and despite the difficult global situation continue to get stronger.

“This year is special for our countries. October 1 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. The country is approaching this significant historical date with outstanding achievements, which we welcome as old, reliable and time-tested friends. The USSR was the first to recognise the PRC on the second day of its existence. So in early October, we will also celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.”

Clearly alluding to the bitter dispute that later divided the Soviet Union and China, Putin noted:

“Over the three quarters of a century, our countries have travelled a long and at times difficult way. We have learnt well the lessons of the history of our relationship at different stages of their development… It is important that Russia-China ties as they are today, are free from the influence of either ideology or political trends. Their multidimensional development is an informed strategic choice based on the wide convergence of core national interests, profound mutual trust, strong public support and sincere friendship between the peoples of the two countries… In a broader sense, we are working to contribute to the development and prosperity of Russia and China by enhancing equal, mutually beneficial economic and humanitarian cooperation, and strengthen foreign policy coordination in the interests of building a just multipolar world order.”

Turning to trade and economic cooperation, Xinhua, in its question, noted that last year, the target set by the two heads of state of a US$200 billion trade turnover had been achieved ahead of schedule, to which Putin responded:

“Trade and economic relations between our countries are developing at a fast pace, showing strong immunity to external challenges and crises… More than 90% of settlements between our companies are made in national currencies. So it would be more accurate to say that bilateral trade currently totals about 20 trillion rubles, or nearly 1.6 trillion yuan.”

On the question of cultural ties, having spoken about Russia’s long-standing interest in Chinese culture, Putin added:

“I know that people in China are also keen to get acquainted with Russian literature, art and traditions. Our eminent theatre groups and musicians regularly perform in China, museums organise their exhibitions, and Russian films are run in cinemas. We are most willing to introduce our Chinese friends to the historical, artistic and cultural heritage of multi-ethnic Russia in all its diversity.

“As for my personal attitude to Chinese culture, I would like to emphasise that I am always eager to discover China’s unique and authentic traditions, especially during my visits to the PRC. I know quite a bit about your martial arts, including Wushu, which is very popular in our country. [Putin himself is a renowned practitioner of judo.] I also have respect for Chinese philosophy. My family members are also interested in China, and some of them are learning Chinese.”

Russia holds this year’s rotating chair of the BRICS cooperation mechanism and this is also the first year of “greater BRICS cooperation”. In this regard, President Putin said: “Full-scale work is underway on all three main pillars of cooperation – politics and security, the economy and finance, culture and people-to-people contacts. One of the main goals of the Russian Chairmanship is undoubtedly the seamless integration of the BRICS new members… I would like to particularly stress that cooperation within BRICS relies on the principles of mutual respect, equality, openness and consensus. That is why countries of the Global South and East, which see BRICS as a platform for their voices to be certainly heard and taken into account, find our association so attractive.”

Reflecting on the successful development and growing attraction of both BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and how this relates to the bilateral relationship, Putin ridiculed western rhetoric regarding the so-called ‘rules based international order’, noting: “Our countries have similar or coinciding positions on key issues on the international agenda. We advocate for the primacy of international law, equal, indivisible, comprehensive and sustainable security at both the global and regional level with the UN’s central coordinating role. We also reject Western attempts to impose an order based on lies and hypocrisy, on some mythical rules of no one knows whose making.”

He commented at length on the Ukraine crisis, expressing support for China’s peace initiative, stating:

“We commend China’s approaches to resolving the crisis in Ukraine. Beijing is well aware of its root causes and global geopolitical significance, which is reflected in its 12-point plan entitled ‘China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis’ published in February 2023. The ideas and proposals contained in the document show the genuine desire of our Chinese friends to help stabilise the situation…

“Beijing proposes practicable and constructive steps to achieve peace by refraining from pursuing vested interests and constant escalation of tensions, minimising the negative impact of the conflict on the global economy and the stability of global value chains. The steps build on the idea that we need to forego the ‘Cold War mentality’ and ensure indivisible security and respect for international law and the UN Charter in their entirety and interrelation. They could therefore lay the groundwork for a political and diplomatic process that would take into account Russia’s security concerns and contribute to achieving a long-term and sustainable peace.

“Unfortunately, neither Ukraine nor its Western patrons support these initiatives. They are not ready to engage in an equal, honest and open dialogue based on mutual respect and consideration of each other’s interests. They are reluctant to discuss the underlying causes, the very origins of the global crisis, which has manifested itself, inter alia, in the dramatic situation around Ukraine. Why? Because today’s global shocks have been provoked precisely by their policies in the previous years and decades.

“Instead, Western elites are stubbornly working to ‘punish’ Russia, isolate and weaken it, supplying the Kiev authorities with money and arms. They have imposed almost 16,000 unilateral illegitimate sanctions against our country. They are threatening to dismember our country. They are illegally trying to appropriate our foreign assets. They are turning a blind eye to the resurgence of Nazism and to Ukraine-sponsored terrorist attacks in our territory.

“We are seeking a comprehensive, sustainable and just settlement of this conflict through peaceful means. We are open to a dialogue on Ukraine, but such negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including ours. They must also involve a substantive discussion on global stability and security guarantees for Russia’s opponents and, naturally, for Russia itself. Needless to say, these must be reliable guarantees. That is where the main problem is, since we are dealing with states whose ruling circles seek to substitute the world order based on international law with an ‘order based on certain rules,’ which they keep talking about but which no one has ever seen, no one has agreed to, and which, apparently, tend to change depending on the current political situation and interests of those who invent these rules.

“Russia stands ready for negotiations; moreover, we had engaged in such negotiations. On April 15, 2022, in Istanbul, together with the Ukrainian delegation, we drafted a peace agreement, taking into account the demands of the Ukrainian side, including those on future security guarantees for Ukraine. Moreover, the head of the Ukrainian delegation initialled the main provisions of the draft document. Our Western partners tried to convince us that in order to finalise and sign the agreement, it was necessary to provide conditions. The main point was that Russian troops be withdrawn away from Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. And so we did. But instead of signing the peace agreement, the Ukrainian side suddenly announced the cessation of negotiations. Later on, Ukrainian officials stated that they had done so, inter alia, because their Western allies had recommended that they continue hostilities and apply joint efforts to achieve Russia’s strategic defeat. We have never refused to negotiate.”

We reproduce below the full text of President Putin’s interview. It was originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.