China, Guinea-Bissau agree to upgrade relationship to strategic partnership

President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, pose for a photo on Wednesday with President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embalo and his wife, Dinisia Reis Embalo, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. HUANG JINGWEN/XINHUA

President Xi Jinping expressed on Wednesday China's commitment to working with African countries to promote the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, uphold the common interests of developing countries and international fairness and justice, and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Xi made the statement while holding talks with Umaro Sissoco Embalo, president of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Embalo started a five-day state visit to China on Tuesday.

Xi said that China and Africa enjoy splendid civilizations, and they both have painful histories of being colonized and invaded, and hence they value and pursue national independence and liberation.

The support and assistance that China and African countries offer to each other are sincere and genuine, setting an example of unity and cooperation among developing countries, he said.

Xi noted that the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation is a significant platform for Chinese and African people to practice the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and promote common development.

As Beijing will host the FOCAC summit this autumn, Xi said that China is willing to work with Guinea-Bissau and other African countries to discuss major plans for China-Africa cooperation in the new era, and jointly build a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.

During their talks, Xi and Embalo agreed to elevate bilateral ties to a strategic partnership, and a joint statement on this was issued after the meeting.

Xi said that China is willing to enhance friendly exchanges with Guinea-Bissau at all levels, strengthen exchanges of governance experience, and expand cooperation in the fields of agriculture, mining, infrastructure construction and the blue economy under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

China welcomes high-quality agricultural products from Guinea-Bissau to enter the Chinese market, encourages Chinese enterprises to invest in the African country, and assists it in transforming its resource potential into development momentum, he said.

Xi expressed China's commitment to providing support for Guinea-Bissau's domestic development, and continuing to send Chinese rice experts and medical teams to the African country to contribute to its food security and public health sector development.

He underlined the need for both countries to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in education and youth development to promote mutual understanding.

China will continue to provide government scholarships and training opportunities to help Guinea-Bissau cultivate the talent needed for its national development, Xi added.

Embalo hailed the development of bilateral ties, and said that Guinea-Bissau's relationship with China is strong and solid, with both sides always firmly supporting each other.

When Guinea-Bissau has faced difficulties, China has always provided valuable support without hesitation, which the people of Guinea-Bissau will never forget, he said, adding that his country will continue to stand firmly with China, adhere to the one-China principle, and support China's position on its core interests, such as the Taiwan question.

Embalo said that Guinea-Bissau regards China as top priority in its foreign policy and the most important cooperation partner.

China does not engage in colonialism, does not interfere in other countries' internal affairs and does not dictate to other countries, and it always treats small countries with equality and respect and honors its commitments with actions, he said.

Through its cooperation projects, China brings schools, hospitals, roads and more to African countries, which truly benefits the African people, he added.

The Guinea-Bissau president noted that his country highly appreciates China's important role in and contributions to the development of the African continent, and it actively supports Beijing's hosting of the next FOCAC summit.

Guinea-Bissau is willing to closely communicate and cooperate with China in multilateral affairs to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, he added.

After the talks, the two presidents witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation documents in various fields, including the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, economic development, customs inspection and quarantine, and geology and mining.

On Wednesday, Embalo also met with Premier Li Qiang in Beijing, with both sides vowing to promote bilateral ties and China-Africa cooperation.