This undated photo shows State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
TASHKENT/DUSHANBE- China and Russia should further elevate their bilateral relations, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday.
During a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, Wang recalled the important video meeting held between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in June, during which the two heads of state decided to extend the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation and issued a joint statement in this regard.
Guided by the spirit of the treaty and the joint statement, China and Russia should unswervingly deepen their comprehensive strategic coordination and promote practical cooperation, said Wang.
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China stands ready to work with Russia to promote the SCO's high-quality development in the next 20 years and make greater contributions to maintaining regional stability and promoting common development, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said
Noting that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Wang said China stands ready to work with Russia to promote the SCO's high-quality development in the next 20 years and make greater contributions to maintaining regional stability and promoting common development.
Wang urged the two sides to deepen coordination on regional affairs, jointly promote Afghanistan's return to the track of peace, jointly resist the "Indo-Pacific Strategy" full of Cold War mentality, and jointly promote peaceful development in the Asia-Pacific region.
For his part, Lavrov said that Russia-China relations are at their best in history, and the relationship is not a military-political alliance similar to those forged during the Cold War period, but a new type of bilateral ties.
Lavrov expressed the hope to strengthen communication and coordination with China on affairs in Central Asia and the Asia-Pacific region, guard against the sabotage of regional peace by the so-called "Indo-Pacific Strategy" and maintain regional and world stability and prosperity.
Uzbekistan, China to enhance cooperation
In a separate meeting in Tashkent on the same day, Wang and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev agreed to enhance cooperation between the two countries.
At present, Uzbekistan-China relations have made great progress in the context of the pandemic, and bilateral trade and investment have grown rapidly, Mirziyoyev said.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said his country is to formulate a new five-year cooperation plan with China to inject new impetus into bilateral cooperation
Mirziyoyev said his country is willing to take the opportunity of celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries to formulate a new five-year cooperation plan with China to inject new impetus into bilateral cooperation.
The development of bilateral relations will face a new historical starting point, as the two sides mark the 30th anniversary of bilateral relations next year, Wang said.
China attaches great importance to the interconnection with Uzbekistan and is willing to accelerate the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative with the Uzbek side to achieve more sustainable development, Wang said.
On the same day, Wang also exchanged views with Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov on bilateral relations.
China to boost cooperation with Bangladesh
Separately during a meeting with Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen in Tashkent, Wang said China was willing to strengthen cooperation with Bangladesh in fighting against COVID-19 and alleviating poverty.
China will continue to provide COVID-19 vaccines to Bangladesh and is willing to discuss vaccine-related cooperation with Bangladesh, backing its efforts to fight the pandemic, Wang said
China and Bangladesh are good neighbors and friends who always adhere to equity and mutual respect, continue to strengthen friendly cooperation and jointly build the Belt and Road, Wang said, adding that China is willing to work with Bangladesh to maintain the development momentum of their strategic cooperative partnership.
China will continue to provide COVID-19 vaccines to Bangladesh and is willing to discuss vaccine-related cooperation with Bangladesh, backing its efforts to fight the pandemic, said the minister.
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China stands ready to provide support and assistance for poverty reduction in Bangladesh through the China-South Asian Countries Poverty Alleviation and Cooperative Development Center, Wang said.
For his part, Momen said the Bangladeshi side opposed politicizing virus origin-tracing, and hoped to cooperate with China in vaccine production and strengthen cooperation in fighting the pandemic within the framework of the six-nation cooperation mechanism, namely Bangladesh, China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh hopes that China will continue to play a mediative and constructive role in properly resolving the Rakhine State issue.
'Iron-clad' China-Belarus ties
Meanwhile, China stands ready to further enhance its relations with Belarus and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Dushanbe on the same day.
China and Belarus are "iron-clad" friends, and their relationship has remained at high-level under the guidance of the two countries' heads of state, Wang told Belarusian First Deputy Prime Minister Nikolai Snopkov
During a meeting with Nikolai Snopkov, first deputy prime minister of Belarus, Wang said China and Belarus are "iron-clad" friends, and their relationship has remained at high-level under the guidance of the two countries' heads of state.
China firmly supports Belarus in safeguarding its state sovereignty and national dignity, opposes any reckless unilateral sanctions against Belarus, and stands against external forces' interference in Belarus' internal affairs, Wang said, adding that China will uphold justice under multilateral frameworks and safeguard Belarus' legitimate rights.
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China will continue to provide vaccines to Belarus and help the country completely defeat the COVID-19 pandemic at an early date, Wang added.
Snopkov, for his part, extended congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), as well as China's accomplishment of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.
Belarus, Snopkov said, is committed to working with China to deepen all-round cooperation so as to lift bilateral ties to a higher level.