Editor's note: President Xi Jinping started holding bilateral meetings on Monday with foreign leaders who will attend the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which is scheduled in Beijing from Wednesday to Friday.

Ties with DR Congo will be enhanced

President Xi Jinping pledged on Monday to enhance bilateral cooperation in agriculture, mineral processing and vocational training with the Democratic Republic of Congo, and continue to help the African country turn its resource advantages into growth drivers.

Xi made the remarks when meeting with DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi in Beijing.

Noting that China and DR Congo elevated their bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in May 2023, Xi said that many consensuses reached at that time have been implemented.

Bilateral practical cooperation in various fields serves as a model for developing countries to jointly advance modernization, Xi added.

He said that China is willing to work with DR Congo to safeguard the common interests of developing nations and encourage Global South countries to seek peace and development in the face of major global changes.

Tshisekedi said he views China as DR Congo's top priority partner for cooperation, and hopes to learn from China's successful experience and continue to deepen friendship as well as practical cooperation with China in various fields.

FOCAC provides an important opportunity for African countries to realize their development dreams, Tshisekedi said, adding that he believes the 2024 FOCAC Summit will deliver successful outcomes and more tangible results to the African people.

Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang also met with Tshisekedi on Monday.

Friendship with Mali to be carried forward

President Xi Jinping and his Malian counterpart Assimi Goita announced on Monday the elevation of China-Mali bilateral ties to a strategic partnership.

China is ready to carry forward its bilateral traditional friendship with Mali, continue to firmly support each other, and provide assistance within its capacity for Mali's economic development and improvement of people's livelihoods, Xi said during his meeting with Goita in Beijing.

China will continue to encourage Chinese companies to invest in the West African country, and deepen cooperation in areas such as agriculture, energy, mineral development and infrastructure construction, Xi said, adding that China hopes Mali will provide security guarantees and policy facilitation for Chinese enterprises.

Xi emphasized that China always supports African people to independently determine their future, and would like to join hands with Mali and other African nations to support each other in achieving modernization through paths that suit the national conditions of those countries.

Goita expressed his gratitude to China for aiding Mali's economic and social development, and said that Mali hopes to further consolidate its friendship with China as well as deepen mutually beneficial cooperation.

There is but one China in the world, and Mali firmly adheres to the one-China principle, he said, adding that both countries respect each other's national sovereignty and independence and oppose interference in other countries' internal affairs.

Mali appreciates China's efforts and contributions to promoting regional and world peace and development, and looks forward to closer multilateral cooperation with China, Goita added.

Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, also met with the Malian president on Monday.

Comoros seen as model of partnership equality

President Xi Jinping and Comorian President Azali Assoumani announced the elevation of ties between the two countries to a strategic partnership as they met in Beijing on Monday.

Noting that China was the first country to have established diplomatic relations with the Comoros, and that next year will mark the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, Xi said the two countries have given each other firm political support and conducted fruitful pragmatic cooperation in various fields.

The two countries have set an example of relations between countries of different sizes, featuring equality, solidarity and cooperation, Xi said.

China stands ready to conduct poverty-reduction cooperation with the Comoros and support the people of the Comoros in leveraging their country's geographical advantages and maritime resources for development, Xi said.

China is willing to help the African country achieve its goal of eliminating malaria by 2025, Xi added.

He said China hopes to take the 2024 FOCAC Summit as an opportunity to expand pragmatic cooperation with the Comoros in trade, investment, infrastructure, marine fisheries and climate change.

Xi said China will uphold the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and strengthen communication and collaboration with the Comoros.

Azali said the Comoros hopes to strengthen friendly ties with China and make the ties a model of Africa-China cooperation.

The Comoros supports China in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity and achieving national reunification, Azali said.

The Comoros hopes to strengthen communication and collaboration with China within multilateral frameworks, promote unity and cooperation among developing countries and resolve regional conflicts through dialogue, Azali said.

Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, also met with Azali in Beijing on Monday.

Resilience, vitality of Togo relations noted

President Xi Jinping and Togolese President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe announced the upgrading of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership during their meeting in Beijing on Monday.

Xi commended Gnassingbe for his significant contributions to China-Togo relations and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, emphasizing China's firm support for Africa's unity, self-improvement and integration process.

He expressed China's willingness to enhance political mutual trust with Togo, expand pragmatic cooperation in infrastructure, agriculture, water conservancy and mutual connectivity, deepen multilateral coordination, and promote regional unity and stability.

Gnassingbe said that FOCAC has become a significant pillar for promoting the development of African countries and friendly relations with China.

Gnassingbe said that Togo looks forward to strengthening cooperation with China in areas such as infrastructure, science and technology, and the digital economy.

His country firmly adheres to the one-China policy and supports China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as its positions on the Taiwan question and issues related to the South China Sea, Gnassingbe added.

Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the nation's top political advisory body, also met with Gnassingbe on Monday.

Bonds with Djibouti taken to new level

President Xi Jinping and Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh announced the elevation of China-Djibouti ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership as they met in Beijing on Monday.

Xi said he highly appreciates the fact that Guelleh has attended all the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summits that have been held, and he hopes to work closely with Guelleh for the success of the 2024 FOCAC Summit.

Emphasizing that this year marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Djibouti, Xi said the two countries have stood together through thick and thin over the past decades.

China will support Djibouti in operating projects such as the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, which connects Ethiopia and Djibouti, and the Djibouti International Free Trade Zone to help turn Djibouti into a regional commercial, trade and logistics hub, he said.

Xi also said that China will work with Djibouti in running the country's Luban Workshop, which was launched in 2019 and was the first in Africa, to provide more high-quality talent to meet the needs of Djibouti's economic development.

China supports Djibouti in making new contributions to peace and development in the Horn of Africa and Africa as a whole, Xi said.

Guelleh said that Djibouti is satisfied with the vitality of the bilateral ties and hopes to work with China to continue to advance the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway and other important projects.

He also said that Djibouti hopes to strengthen communication and collaboration with China to promote regional security and development.

Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, also met with Guelleh in Beijing on Monday.

Shared development with Seychelles stressed

President Xi Jinping underlined on Monday the need for China and Seychelles to prioritize support for each other's core interests and major concerns, and remain committed to strengthening strategic mutual trust, shared development, common security and their traditional friendship.

He made the remarks during his meeting with Seychelles' President Wavel Ramkalawan in Beijing.

Xi welcomed Seychelles' continued participation in the China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Development Cooperation to accelerate sustainable development of marine resources and transform Seychelles' blue economy potential into its developmental momentum.

China is willing to enhance emergency response and disaster reduction cooperation with Seychelles, support it in combating pirates and other illegal activities, and encourage the launch of direct flights between the two countries, Xi said.

He also said that more students from Seychelles are welcome to study in China.

Ramkalawan said the friendship between Seychelles and China is built on mutual respect and mutual benefit. Seychelles firmly adheres to the one-China policy and supports China in achieving national reunification, he added.

The two presidents announced the elevation of China-Seychelles relations to a strategic partnership.

Solid friendship with Eritrea emphasized

China and Eritrea should work as good brothers with close affinity, good partners for win-win cooperation and good friends jointly upholding fairness and justice, President Xi Jinping said on Monday during his meeting in Beijing with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki.

Xi emphasized the long-standing mutual trust and strong support between China and Eritrea since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1993.

He praised Eritrea's commitment to an independent foreign policy, saying that China is willing to deepen political mutual trust and promote practical cooperation with the African country to achieve common development.

Xi called for utilizing initiatives and platforms, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa, to deepen bilateral cooperation on energy, infrastructure and agriculture, in order to assist Eritrea in its industrialization and agricultural modernization.

Afwerki, who first visited China 57 years ago, praised China's remarkable development achievements and increasing global influence, acknowledging China's significant role in the reform of the global governance system.

He expressed Eritrea's commitment to the one-China policy and the desire to deepen cooperation with China in energy, infrastructure, maritime affairs and other fields.

He emphasized the importance of China-Africa cooperation in helping African countries achieve development.

Win-win cooperation with Guinea underlined

China is willing to work with Guinea to ensure the 2024 FOCAC Summit is a complete success, so that it unites the forces of the Global South to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, President Xi Jinping said on Monday.

He made the remark when meeting with Guinean President Mamady Doumbouya in Beijing.

Xi emphasized that strengthening unity and cooperation with African countries and other developing nations is the cornerstone of China's foreign policy.

Noting that October will mark the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Xi said that over the past 65 years, both countries have upheld mutual respect, supporting each other in pursuing an independent development path.

He underlined the need for both countries to strengthen cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, development of resources, rural development, poverty reduction and healthcare, and help Guinea transform its resources strength into development momentum.

Doumbouya hailed the development of bilateral relations, and said that Guinea adheres to the one-China policy.

He thanked China for its valuable support in Guinea's economic and social development, and said that Chinese investment in Guinea has promoted his country's economic development and improved people's livelihoods, serving as a model of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.