President sets the stage for progress in talks with foreign leaders
Editor’s Note: During his four-day trip to Kazakhstan, President Xi Jinping had individual talks with other foreign leaders. Here are highlights of some of the meetings:
China and Russia should strengthen communication and promote the role of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to enhance its influence in global and regional affairs, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday while meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Noting that the SCO is facing new opportunities and challenges, Xi said China and Russia should firmly observe the “Shanghai spirit”, boost solidarity among SCO members, maintain regional security and stability, and promote pragmatic cooperation.
Xi urged the SCO to play a bigger role in Afghanistan’s peace and reconciliation process, adding that China, which will assume the SCO rotating presidency after the Astana summit, is willing to maintain close communication and coordination with all parties, including Russia, to achieve further development of the SCO.
Given the current complex international situation, sound ChinaRussia ties are of great significance to the two countries’ development and revitalization, as well as to the peace and stability of the world, Xi
said. They should strengthen their mutual support on issues relating to each other’s core interests, he said. Xi urged further progress in aligning construction of the Belt and Road with the Eurasian Economic Union, which has a single market that includes Russia and other countries.
The Chinese president also urged the two countries to deepen peopleto-people and cultural exchanges and strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs.
Putin said it is of great significance for Russia and China to maintain frequent high-level interactions. He urged the two sides to step up their communication and coordination in a bid to maintain peace, stability and security in the region and around the world.
Russia and China should work together with all sides concerned to boost unity and coordination among the SCO members to enhance the influence of the orga-
nization in international affairs, Putin said.
The Russian president reiterated his congratulations on the success of the recent Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, and said the Belt and Road Initiative has won extensive support in the international community.
They also exchanged views on Afghanistan and the Korean Peninsula, and on other international and regional issues.
TAJIKISTAN
China and Tajikistan should strengthen the connection of their economic policies, boost interconnectivity and enhance cooperation on production and equipment manufacturing, President Xi told his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon on Friday.
The two countries have had important achievements in jointly building the Belt and Road, Xi said, adding that both sides should push forward high-level, innovative and multi-area cooperation.
Calling Tajikistan a friendly neighbor and a highly trusted strategic partner with close links, Xi said that they have maintained frequent highlevel exchanges in recent years, with fruitful cooperation in such areas as trade, agriculture, infrastructure
construction, energy and security.
The two nations have maintained close links under the United Nations and SCO frameworks, Xi said.
The Chinese president called on the two countries to deepen cooperation on disaster relief, facilitate trade and investment, and enhance cooperation on defense and law enforcement.
China seeks joint efforts with Tajikistan to seize the opportunity of the 25 th anniversary of diplomatic relations, enhance strategic cooperation, and push forward the ChinaTajikistan strategic partnership to a higher level, he said.
Rahmon said t hat Tajikistan and China are good neighbors, friends and partners. Tajikistan cherishes its friendship with China and attaches great importance to China’s role in global affairs, he said.
Tajikistan wants to connect its development strategy with the Belt and Road Initiative, and enhance
cooperation with China in areas such as interconnectivity, electricity, agriculture and security, he said.
SPAIN
China and Spain should make full use of the China-Europe rail service that connects Yiwu, an important commodities center in East China, with Madrid, President Xi told Spanish King Felipe VI on Friday, while welcoming Spain to participate in building the Belt and Road.
Emphasizing that China pays a great deal of attention to Sino-Spanish relations, Xi said he appreciates the Spanish royal family’s firm support for developing relations with China.
The two countries should make joint efforts to upgrade their comprehensive strategic partnership to a higher level to benefit the people of both sides, he said.
The president called on both countries to strengthen high-level exchanges and firmly support each other’s core interests and major concerns.
The two countries should connect their development strategies and deepen cooperation in such areas as finance, telecommunications, renewable resources, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, aviation and aerospace, he said.
Xi called for joint efforts with Spain to push economic globalization toward developing in the direction of being more open, inclusive, beneficial and balanced.
China firmly supports the process of European integration, Xi said. China hopes Spain will continue to play a positive role in the European Union by contributing to the health and steady development of ChinaEU relations.
King Felipe VI expressed willingness to strengthen the two countries’ political trust, deepen highlevel exchanges and also enhance practical cooperation in all areas with China.
The Belt and Road Initiative will play an important role in promoting global economic growth, the king said.
He added that Spain hopes to enhance cooperation with China in infrastructure and energy under the Belt and Road framework.