China to strengthen ties with regional countries

Premier concludes Central Asia trip, stresses promotion of BRI cooperation

Premier Li Qiang arrived in Beijing on Friday after concluding an official visit to Kyrgyzstan and attending the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.

On the sidelines of the SCO meeting, Li held a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Russia, Mongolia, Tajikistan and Belarus. He also met with Iran's First Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber.

In talks with foreign leaders, Li said China is willing to deepen mutual trust, enhance connectivity and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields with regional countries to offer impetus to each other's development and bring more benefits to their people.

He stressed China's commitment to promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with these countries to pursue common prosperity, and strengthening collaboration within the SCO and other multilateral institutions to safeguard the interests of developing countries.

In talks with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Wednesday, Li said China is willing to work with Russia to maintain the momentum of growth in bilateral trade and investment cooperation, deepen joint efforts in the energy sector and boost connectivity and trade facilitation.

China-Russia cooperation is neither targeted at, nor influenced by, any third party, he added.

Mishustin hailed the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era as "standing at an unprecedented level" and said his country is ready to better align the Belt and Road Initiative with the Eurasian Economic Union.

In talks with his Mongolian counterpart Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene on Thursday, Li said the two neighbors should continue to consolidate existing achievements, enhance cooperation in logistical connectivity and further expand common interests to achieve win-win results.

Oyun-Erdene said Mongolia firmly adheres to the one-China principle and is willing to continuously promote BRI cooperation with China to bring bilateral ties to a higher level.

When meeting with his Tajik counterpart Kokhir Rasulzoda on the same day, Li called on the two sides to build a China-Tajikistan community with a shared future and implement the outcomes of the China-Central Asia Summit. Rasulzoda echoed Li's remarks as saying that his country is ready to keep deepening China's comprehensive cooperation with Central Asian countries.

In talks with Iran's first vice-president on Thursday, the premier called on China and Iran to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields and promote people-to-people exchanges.

In response, Mokhber said Iran is committed to deepening ties with China and will jointly promote Belt and Road cooperation.

Prior to flying back to Beijing on Friday, Li met with Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko and said China will work together with Belarus to enhance political support for each other and to continuously enrich the two countries' all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership. Golovchenko said his country firmly supports China in safeguarding its core interests and will work with China to build a multipolar world.