Chinese president receives credentials of 9 ambassadors, meets new SCO secretary general

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping received the credentials presented by new ambassadors of nine countries to China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday.

The ambassadors are Walter Eduardo Duran from El Salvador, Vikram Misri from India, Parakhat Durdyev from Turkmenistan, Dario Mihelin from Croatia, Baktygulova Kanaiym from Kyrgyzstan, Teshome Toga Chanaka from Ethiopia, Abbie Simone David from Grenada, Sarah Serem from Kenya, and Mohamed Abdellahi Elboukhary Elvilaly from Mauritania.

Xi welcomed the ambassadors to China and expressed his sincere greetings and good wishes to the leaders and people of their countries.

He spoke highly of China's relations with the countries, and stressed that China attached great importance to developing ties with the countries and was ready to deepen political mutual trust and expand pragmatic cooperation for greater benefit to people of all countries.

"I hope that the ambassadors will play an active role in promoting ties between our countries," he said. "The Chinese government will facilitate and support the work of the ambassadors."

The ambassadors conveyed cordial greetings from their state leaders to Xi.

They told Xi that since it was established 70 years ago, the People's Republic of China had achieved world renowned development and played an increasingly important role in international affairs. Their countries attached great importance to developing ties with China.

They pledged to work for greater mutual understanding and friendship between their countries and China, and promote mutually beneficial cooperation.

Xi also met with Vladimir Norov, the newly appointed secretary general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and said that he hoped Norov would make positive contributions to push forward the development of the organization.