Joint building of Belt and Road highlighted

Mongolia

President Xi Jinping called on Mongolia on Thursday to play a greater role in advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation as a gateway linking Europe and Asia when meeting with Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh.

Xi said that Mongolia, which was among the first to support the Belt and Road Initiative, is a natural partner in jointly building the Belt and Road.

Over the past decade, China and Mongolia have achieved greater synergy between their development strategies and witnessed encouraging results in cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, connectivity and livelihood projects, he said.

Xi said that the construction of the Belt and Road shares broad cooperation opportunities with Mongolia's "Steppe Road Program" development strategy.

He said that China is willing to uphold mutual respect for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity with Mongolia, support each other in safeguarding core interests, and build a solid foundation for the China-Mongolia community with a shared future.

China will continue to help Mongolia revitalize its economy, promote the construction of relevant border ports in an orderly manner and open up new channels for connectivity between the two countries, he said.

As the China-Mongolia Desertification Prevention and Control Cooperation Center has been established, Xi said China is willing to continue supporting Mongolia's "Planting One Billion Trees" plan.

He also expressed China's willingness to expand China-Mongolia-Russia cooperation and steadily promote the construction of the trilateral economic corridor.

Khurelsukh congratulated China for the successful hosting of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, saying that its outcomes will contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and give new momentum to global economic growth.

The two heads of state witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation documents in areas including cross-border railways, green and lowcarbon development and the digital economy.

MO JINGXI

Republic of Congo

President Xi Jinping called on Thursday for China and the Republic of Congo to explore new growth drivers for their cooperation in the digital economy and green development, while strengthening their partnership under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

Xi made the remarks during a meeting in Beijing with President of the Republic of Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso. He said the Republic of Congo is an active participant and important partner in the joint building of the Belt and Road.

The two countries have achieved tangible results in advancing cooperation by upholding the spirit of the Silk Road, which features peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness as well as mutual learning and mutual benefit, Xi said, adding that the successful implementation of projects such as the No 1 National Highway in the Republic of Congo is exemplary.

Noting that China and the Republic of Congo are true friends and good partners, Xi said that China values the friendship between the two countries and is willing to strengthen their pragmatic cooperation.

China appreciates the resolute support given by the Republic of Congo on issues related to its core interests and major concerns, and it supports the African country in safeguarding its independence, opposing foreign interference and adhering to a development path that suits its national conditions, Xi said.

China also supports the Republic of Congo in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs, and is willing to develop multilateral cooperation and coordinate with it to promote the construction of a more just and reasonable international order, he added.

Sassou Nguesso said the Belt and Road Initiative is a great project that provides the world with a new model of inclusive development.

Underlining that China is a major contributor to global economic growth, he said his country is willing to seize the opportunity of celebrating the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year to further bilateral relations.

The Republic of Congo firmly adheres to the one-China policy and looks forward to continuing mutual support with China, and strengthening pragmatic cooperation in infrastructure, green energy and other fields, he added.

CAO DESHENG

Turkmenistan

President Xi Jinping underlined on Thursday China's readiness to strengthen the alignment between the Belt and Road Initiative and Turkmenistan's initiative to revive the Great Silk Road to make the ancient route a "road to happiness" in the new era.

Xi made the remark during a meeting with Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, national leader of the Turkmen people and chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan.

Xi said China is a reliable friend and partner of Turkmenistan, and advancing the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations is in line with the fundamental interests of both countries and the common aspirations of the two peoples.

China is willing to work with Turkmenistan to continue to uphold the principle of mutual respect and win-win cooperation, and to push for steady and long-term development of bilateral relations, he said.

Xi emphasized that mutual support is the essence of the China-Turkmenistan community with a shared future. China appreciates Turkmenistan's strong support on issues concerning China's core interests and major concerns. He pledged continuous support to Turkmenistan in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and development interests and pursuing a development path that suits its national conditions.

Both sides should scale up trade and expand cooperation in areas such as healthcare, sports, tourism and culture. Efforts should also be made to hold mutual Cultural Year activities and enable the establishment of the Luban Workshop project in Turkmenistan at an early date, Xi said.

Berdimuhamedov said that China and Turkmenistan have a deep tradition of being good neighbors, and their friendship has remained strong.

The alignment between Turkmenistan's initiative to revive the Great Silk Road and the Belt and Road Initiative has greatly facilitated the connectivity and revitalization of both countries and the region, he said.

Both sides should carry forward their friendship, pass down the brotherly relationship from generation to generation and maintain mutual trust, understanding and support. They should also deepen economic and energy cooperation and promote people-to-people exchanges, he added.

The leaders of both countries witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents, including an agreement on economic and technical cooperation.

XU WEI

Cambodia

President Xi Jinping called on Thursday for China and Cambodia to maintain high-level strategic communication and carry out cooperation on joint building of the Belt and Road to promote common development.

Xi made the remarks during a meeting in Beijing with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China and Cambodia have respected, trusted and supported each other for shared growth, setting an example of big and small countries treating each other as equals and promoting mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, Xi said.

Both China and Cambodia are nations that value ties, and their ironclad friendship is unbreakable, he said.

Noting that the Belt and Road cooperation has brought tangible development opportunities to Cambodia, Xi said that China is willing to advance the synergy of the Belt and Road Initiative with Cambodia's Pentagon Strategy by adhering to the principles of "extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits".

Xi also emphasized the need to enhance collaboration within the "Diamond Hexagon" bilateral cooperation framework, and strive to build the "Industrial Development Corridor" and the "Fish and Rice Corridor" to allow more partnership projects to deliver benefits to the people.

China supports projects such as airport construction and cultural heritage restoration in Cambodia, welcomes more Cambodian agricultural products to enter the Chinese market, and encourages more Chinese tourists to travel to Cambodia, he said.

Hun Manet commended the keynote speech Xi made on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, saying it demonstrated Xi's strategic foresight. He said the major practical measures proposed by Xi will surely lead to greater success in jointly building the Belt and Road.

Cambodia firmly follows a policy of friendship toward China and firmly supports China's core interests, Hun Manet said.

He added that his country actively supports the important initiatives put forward by Xi, which provide important opportunities and platforms for promoting world peace and development.

CAO DESHENG

Thailand

China and Thailand should be pacesetters in the high-quality building of the Belt and Road, accelerate the construction of the China-Thailand railway and expand cooperation in sectors including the digital economy, green development and new energy, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday.

During a meeting with Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin in Beijing, Xi underlined Beijing's support for Bangkok in following a path that suits its national conditions, saying that the two sides should continue to provide firm support to each other on issues concerning their core interests and major concerns.

Srettha, who took office in August, chose China as the destination of his first official visit outside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. This fully reflects the high importance that Thailand's new government attaches to China-Thailand relations, Xi said.

China and Thailand should work together to keep adding new dimensions to their family-like bond and transform the traditional strengths of bilateral relations into a driving force for win-win cooperation, he said.

He urged heightened people-to-people exchanges and joint efforts in combating cross-border crimes such as telecom fraud and online gambling.

China will work with Thailand to strengthen cooperation within multilateral frameworks such as ASEAN, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism and the United Nations, Xi said, adding that the country is willing to share opportunities created by its large market and high-level opening-up, and inject positive energy into Asia's development.

Srettha said he sincerely admires President Xi's vision and China's achievements in poverty reduction, saying he stands ready to learn from China's governance experience.

He expressed the hope that both sides would deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields, jointly build the China-Thailand railway, and move forward with the vision of interconnected development of China, Laos and Thailand.

Thailand will make every effort to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals in Thailand and welcome more Chinese companies to invest in and more Chinese tourists to visit the country, he said.

XU WEI

Mozambique

President Xi Jinping said that China is willing to advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with Mozambique and other African countries, and assist in their efforts to accelerate modernization when meeting with Mozambican Prime Minister Adriano Maleiane in Beijing on Thursday.

Xi also said that China is committed to implementing the three proposals that have been launched to enhance China-Africa practical cooperation such as the Initiative on Supporting Africa's Industrialization and sharing development opportunities and benefits with African countries.

Describing China and Mozambique as true friends and true brothers that stand together through thick and thin, Xi said he is glad to see that fruitful results have been achieved in their Belt and Road cooperation.

China is willing to deepen its traditional friendship with Mozambique and continuously push for new progress in developing the China-Mozambique comprehensive strategic partnership, the president said.

Xi said China supports the African country in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests as well as in pursuing a development path that suits its own national conditions.

He called on the two sides to deepen cooperation in areas such as energy and agriculture, and promote educational, cultural, local-level and people-to-people exchanges.

The president also expressed China's willingness to strengthen communication with Mozambique on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations and promote the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.

Maleiane said the series of important initiatives including the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China can help other countries eradicate poverty, promote economic growth and improve people's livelihoods.

Mozambique firmly adheres to the one-China policy, and hopes to learn from China's experience in modernization to better achieve its own development, he said, adding that his country wishes to deepen practical cooperation with China in all fields.

MO JINGXI

Pakistan

President Xi Jinping stressed on Thursday the need to use the 10th anniversary of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as an opportunity to upgrade the project into a corridor for growth, livelihood, innovation, green development and openness.

During a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Anwaarul-Haq Kakar in Beijing, Xi called for enhanced cooperation between Beijing and Islamabad on industrial parks, agriculture, mining and new energy, as well as the expedited implementation of major connectivity projects.

He noted that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has secured fruitful results over the past decade as it effectively promoted Pakistan's economic and social development and became a key signature project for jointly building the Belt and Road.

China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperation partners and their friendship is iron-clad, with successive governments in Pakistan actively supporting and participating in the Belt and Road cooperation, he noted.

Xi emphasized that China appreciates Pakistan's long-standing and firm support for its core interests and will continue to support Pakistan in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, as well as choosing a development path that suits its national conditions.

He welcomed the export of more high-quality Pakistani agricultural products to China, while expressing the hope that Pakistan will ensure the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel in Pakistan.

China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Pakistan within the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization frameworks to promote regional unity and cooperation, and safeguard the legitimate interests of developing countries, he added.

Kakar, who took office in August as the eighth caretaker prime minister of Pakistan, hailed the tremendous success of the BRI over the past decade.

He said the eight major steps proposed by Xi at the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation will not only enhance global connectivity but also promote a fairer and more equitable global governance system, providing important opportunities for development in Pakistan and other countries.

Pakistan will always be a trustworthy and reliable friend of China and will never allow any force to undermine this friendship, he said.

XU WEI

New Development Bank

President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that China welcomes the New Development Bank to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative in an effort to assist in the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and help more developing countries achieve modernization.

He made the remarks during a meeting in Beijing with Dilma Rousseff who assumed her post in March as president of the multilateral development bank, which was established in 2015 by BRICS, the grouping of emerging economies that currently comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Xi told Rousseff that China will continue to support the work of the Shanghai-headquartered NDB and facilitate her work in the country.

Recalling the signing of the agreement to establish the NDB during the BRICS Summit in Brazil in 2014, Xi said the bank has achieved remarkable results in recent years and has continued to grow.

Against the backdrop of intertwined risks and crises in today's world, the NDB should play its due role as an important emerging force in the international financial system, he said.

Xi urged the bank to make the global financial system more just and equitable, and effectively enhance the representation and voice of emerging markets and developing countries, thus building itself into a new type of multilateral development institution in the 21st century.

Rousseff said it is necessary for all countries to address common challenges with collective action amid the current international situation. Strengthening infrastructure construction and connectivity is crucial for developing countries to achieve common development, she said.

She noted that there has never been such an initiative as the BRI that can bring together more than 150 countries. The initiative and the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation will play a crucial role in global sustainable development and green growth, she added.

The bank shares similar principles and concepts with the BRI and is willing to actively participate in Belt and Road cooperation and make due contributions to world multipolarity and the reform of the international financial system, she said.

MO JINGXI