President Xi Meets Cambodian King

2019-06-19 19:16
CHINA TODAY 2019年6期

President Xi Meets Cambodian King

On May 14, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, who was in Beijing attending the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations (CDAC).

Noting how China cherishes the special friendship it has with the Cambodian royal family, Xi said China will continue to support Cambodia in pursuing the development path suited to its own national conditions, and work with Cambodia to elevate their comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation to a new level.

China and Cambodia should set an example of how two countries can respect each others cultural diversity and promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, he noted.

Sihamoni said Cambodia congratulates the Peoples Republic of China on the tremendous achievements it has made since its founding 70 years ago, appreciates the important role China has played in international affairs, and firmly supports the Belt and Road Initiative.

The CDAC proposed by President Xi will play a major role in promoting cultural exchanges and mutual understanding among countries, Sihamoni noted.

“China, Russia, and the U.S., all permanent members of the UN Security Council, are major countries with significant influence on the world. In a world where challenges of various kinds keep cropping up, we should engage in positive interaction with an inclusive mindset, and get rid of unnecessary suspicion and misunderstanding. We should continuously expand cooperation with each other, while safeguarding world peace and stability, and promote global development and prosperity. We are ready to settle differences and strengthen cooperation with major countries including the U.S. on the basis of mutual respect so as to strive for more peace, security, and stability for the world.”

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi talked about the current trilateral relations among China, Russia, and the United States on May 13, 2019 during a press conference in which he appeared together with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of Russia after their talks in Sochi.

Xi Jinping Holds Talks with President of Portugal

On April 29, 2019, President Xi Jinping held talks with President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa of Portugal in Beijing.

Xi Jinping pointed out that China and Portugal are each others important strategic partners. The bilateral relations are characterized by prominent strategic significance, high complementarity in interests, and strong economic complementarity. Standing at a new historical starting point, the two sides should work together to develop a comprehensive strategic partnership at a higher level that has broader vision and greater vitality. China regards Portugal as an important partner in the joint building of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Xi Jinping also emphasized that this year marks the 20th anniversary of Macaos return to China. Since its return to the motherland, Macao has scored remarkable achievements as a result of fully implementing the policies of “one country, two systems” and the people of Macao governing Macao, and a high degree of autonomy.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said that we should translate the longstanding friendship between the two countries into a future-oriented partnership. We are full of confidence in the future of our nationsbilateral relations. The Portuguese side stands ready to deepen connections with China and expand third-party market cooperation.

Xi Jinping Holds Talks with President of the Swiss Confederation

On April 29, 2019, President Xi Jinping held talks with President Ueli Maurer of the Swiss Confederation in Beijing.

Xi Jinping pointed out that Switzerland was one of the first Western countries to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with the Peoples Republic of China. This reflects the long-term strategic vision of the Swiss government and also the friendly feelings of the Swiss people towards the Chinese people. The establishment of the innovative strategic partnership between the two countries was the first time that China has established a strategic partnership marked by innovation with a foreign country.

During the talks, Xi Jinping also said that the China-Switzerland free trade agreement took the lead among European countries. We should make the joint building of the Belt and Road Initiative a new highlight for China-Switzerland cooperation.

Ueli Maurer said that over the past 70 years, the two countries have conducted exchanges and mutual learning, and deepened mutual understanding, resulting in strong bilateral relations. Switzerland supports the Belt and Road Initiative and is committed to promoting the joint building of the initiative in Europe. Switzerland hopes to deepen its cooperation with China in trade, investment, and innovation within this framework. Switzerland also welcomes investment from Chinese companies and will never put restrictions on them.