31 Mar, 2013

Xinhua Wrapup: Results of Chinese Leader’s First Foreign Trip

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BRAZZAVILLE 2013-03-30 – (Xinhua) – Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday left Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of the Congo, for Beijing, concluding his first foreign visit after taking office with fruitful results. The Republic of the Congo is the last leg of Xi’s four-nation tour from March 22 to 30, which also included Russia, Tanzania and South Africa. He attended the fifth BRICS summit in Durban, South Africa.

Xi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held talks in Moscow on March 22, exchanging in-depth views on China-Russia relations and major global and regional issues, and reaching important consensus on enhancing the comprehensive strategic cooperation between their countries.

Xi stressed that China and Russia are each other’s major and most important strategic cooperative partner, and both accord priority to deepening their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership on their overall diplomatic agenda and in their foreign policy.

The presidents of the two countries signed a joint statement on deepening the bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, which has laid out the priorities of future bilateral cooperation and called for a new type of great-power relations in the international arena.

Both sides also signed documents on economic and trade cooperation and cooperation in such fields as energy, investment, environmental protection, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, as well as cooperation at local levels.

The two leaders also attended the inauguration ceremony of the Year of Chinese Tourism.

Xi delivered an important speech at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, expounding on China’s view on the current international situation and its position on international relations and on developing China-Russia relations.

Xi’s visit to Russia injected fresh impetus into the sustained, healthy and stable growth of China-Russia comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Xi held talks with Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete on March 24 in Dar es Salaam, and both sides agreed to carry on their traditional friendship, construct a comprehensive cooperative partnership based on mutual benefit and win-win results, and lift bilateral relations to a higher level.

Xi witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral agreements on economic, trade and cultural cooperation.

Xi delivered an important speech in Dar es Salaam on March 25, dwelling on China-Africa relations and China’s Africa policy. In his speech at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Center in Tanzania’s economic capital, Xi said China and Africa will always be trustworthy friends and sincere partners.

“Let me assure you that China will intensify, not weaken, its efforts to expand relations with Africa,” he said.

During the talks between Xi and his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma on March 26, the two presidents pledged to make the bilateral relationship a strategic focus and priority in their respective foreign policies.

They also agreed to push the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership to a higher level, through broader and deeper cooperation in politics, economy and trade, people-to-people and cultural exchanges as well as in coordination and communication in regional and international affairs.

In the South African port city of Durban, Xi attended the fifth BRICS summit held between March 26-27 and under the theme of “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Development, Integration and Industrialization.”

Speaking at the summit, the Chinese president said that to enhance cooperation with other BRICS countries has always been a priority on China’s diplomatic agenda.

China will continue to strengthen cooperation with other BRICS countries, in order to make the economic growth of BRICS countries more robust and their cooperation better structured and more productive, he said.

“This will bring tangible benefits to people of all countries and make greater contributions to world peace and development,” Xi said.

Xi also attended the first BRICS Leaders-Africa Dialogue Forum, which was centered on the cooperation between BRICS and African countries in infrastructure.

Addressing the forum, Xi said the dialogue between leaders of BRICS and African countries reflected the political will of both sides to realize equality and inclusiveness, and seek common development.

On March 28, the Chinese president had a breakfast meeting with a group of African leaders. They exchanged views on the further development of China-Africa ties.

During his visit to the Republic of the Congo on March 29-30, the first by a Chinese head of state since China and the African nation established diplomatic ties in 1964, Xi and his Congolese counterpart Denis Sassou Nguesso agreed to make joint efforts in building and developing a comprehensive cooperative partnership of solidarity and mutual assistance between the two nations.

Xi told Sassou Nguesso during their meeting that he received a warm welcome from the Congolese government and people upon his arrival in the country, which reflected the deep traditional friendship between the two nations.

On the occasion of the upcoming 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties next year, Xi expressed the hope that the two sides will make joint efforts and deepen their friendship and mutual trust, so as to lift the bilateral comprehensive cooperative partnership of solidarity and mutual assistance to a new level and make a new stride forward.