Chinese premier meets Ecuadorian president

BEIJING -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday met with President of the Republic of Ecuador Daniel Roy-Gilchrist Noboa Azin in Beijing.

Li said China is willing to work with Ecuador to follow the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, enhance communication and coordination, consolidate political mutual trust, expand all-round mutually beneficial cooperation and better serve the modernization drive of the two countries.

Li called on the two sides to promote high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road, continue to implement the China-Ecuador free trade agreement, expand the scale of bilateral trade, consolidate and expand cooperation in traditional fields such as energy, mining and infrastructure construction, and deepen cooperation in emerging fields including 5G and artificial intelligence.

China is ready to import more high-quality agricultural and food products from Ecuador and encourages capable Chinese enterprises to invest in Ecuador, Li said.

Li also called on the two sides to enhance exchanges and cooperation in disaster prevention, education, medical care, culture and other fields. Noting the current situation in Latin America and the Caribbean is complex and volatile, Li said China is willing to remain a reliable partner of regional countries.

Noboa, who is on a state visit to China, said China is an important cooperative partner and good friend of Ecuador.

Noboa said Ecuador is ready to work with China to further unlock the dividends of bilateral free trade agreement, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields such as economy and trade, finance, mining, renewable energy, infrastructure construction, agriculture and fisheries, and promote the continuous development of the China-Ecuador comprehensive strategic partnership.