Xi lauds China, Colombia friendship
Top leader also exchanges greetings with leaders in Kuwait, Laos and the DPRK
President Xi Jinping called on the governments and people of China and Colombia to work together for friendly cooperation in all areas, including the fight against COVID-19, as the latest shipment of vaccines from China arrived in the capital, Bogota, on March 20.
Xi made the remark in a video speech delivered to the Colombian people at the invitation of Colombian President Ivan Duque. It was the third batch of vaccines that Colombia has purchased from China. The first vaccines arrived on Feb 20.
Xi said the two countries have assisted each other in overcoming the current difficulties and actively carried out anti-epidemic cooperation.
Even the vast Pacific Ocean cannot get in the way of the profound friendship between the two peoples, he said.
According to Xi, since the two countries established diplomatic ties 41 years ago, the Sino-Colombian relationship has achieved historic development.
Now China is the second-largest trading partner of Colombia, and Chinese enterprises have been actively engaged in Colombia’s construction in all fields.
People-to-people exchanges between the two countries are flourishing, with China-Colombia friendship deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples, Xi added.
He called on the governments and people in both countries to push forward bilateral friendly cooperation to a new level, so as to better benefit the two peoples.
Duque, who held a special event to broadcast Xi’s speech nationwide, thanked President Xi and the brotherly Chinese people for their deep friendship with the Colombian people as well as the important support for the country’s anti-epidemic efforts.
Developing relations with China is a broad consensus among all political parties in Colombia, Duque said, noting that his country stands ready to work with China to keep deepening the Colombia-China relationship.
Separately, President Xi also exchanged greetings and messages with the leaders of Laos, Kuwait and the DPRK.
On March 23, in a message exchanged with Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of ties, Xi said that their bilateral traditional friendship is growing stronger as time goes by.
He said the two countries should use the occasion as an opportunity to carry forward their traditional relationship and deepen cooperation in various areas within the framework of the Belt and Road
The two nations also offer each other understanding and support over issues that are related to their respective core interests and major concerns and closely coordinate with each other over international and regional affairs, he said.
After the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, China and Kuwait stood in solidarity and fought together, epitomizing the high level of China-Kuwait relations, the president said.
Xi underscored that he attached great importance to the growth of relations with Kuwait, and he is willing to work with the Kuwaiti emir to bring more benefits to the two peoples.
The emir of Kuwait said in his message that the relations between the two nations, which are on a stable footing, keep growing and deepening.
The two nations are cooperating in multiple major programs and maintaining communication and coordination over international and regional issues within the framework of the strategic partnership, he said, adding that he looks forward to further enhancing bilateral ties and expanding cooperation in various areas.
Premier Li Keqiang also exchanged congratulatory messages with Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah on March 22.
In his message, Li hailed the increasingly stronger political mutual trust, rich outcomes from bilateral cooperation in areas such as energy, infrastructure, finance and people-topeople exchanges and stable progress in joint building of the Belt and Road.
With mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples continuing to grow, Li said China is ready to work with Kuwait to enable greater progress from the bilateral strategic partnership.
The Kuwaiti prime minister lauded the bilateral friendship as solid, close and yielding rich outcomes, saying that the nation hopes to work with China to comprehensively promote their strategic relations.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, sent a congratulatory message on March 23 to Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee, on his election as the new president of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
The inaugural session of the ninth legislature of the Lao National Assembly on March 22 elected Thongloun as president, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Xi said in his message that China and Laos are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers, and the relations between the two parties and between the two countries have developed to be increasingly stronger since the start of bilateral diplomatic ties 60 years ago.
In recent years, the bilateral traditional friendship has achieved new progress, strategic mutual trust has reached higher levels, pragmatic cooperation has taken new steps forward and bilateral ties have entered a new era of building a community with a shared future, Xi said.
Since last year, the two countries have joined hands in the fight against COVID-19, further fulfilling the spirit of the China-Laos community with a shared future, and have deepened their brotherly friendship, Xi said.
Xi said he is ready to work with Thongloun to further expand the comprehensive strategic cooperation between China and Laos, promote the well-being and friendship of the two peoples, and push forward the building of the China-Laos community with a shared future to a greater height.
Premier Li Keqiang also sent a message on March 23 congratulating Phankham Viphavanh on his election as prime minister of Laos.
Phankham Viphavanh is a member of the Political Bureau of the LPRP Central Committee.
In an exchange of messages with Kim Jong-un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Xi called upon both sides and related parties to make new contributions to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.
The messages were delivered by Song Tao, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, and Ri Ryong-nam, DPRK ambassador to China, during their meeting on March 22 in Beijing.
Xi congratulated Kim again on the success of the Eighth National Congress of the WPK, saying that the traditional friendship between the two nations is the joint precious treasure of both parties, nations and peoples.
He underscored that major changes unseen in a century, coupled with the once-in-a-century pandemic, had led to profound developments in the international and regional situation.
He expressed China’s readiness to work with the DPRK to jointly uphold, consolidate and move forward bilateral relations, and enable the socialist cause of both nations to keep yielding new outcomes and better benefit the two peoples.
In his message, Kim spoke highly of the remarkable achievements attained by the CPC and the Chinese people, under Xi’s leadership, in managing to contain COVID-19, building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and eliminating absolute poverty.
Kim noted that it is the unwavering position of himself, the WPK and the DPRK people to further strengthen bilateral relations and promote the socialist cause.
The DPRK firmly believes that bilateral friendship will be elevated and developed in keeping with the requirements of the current era, he said.
People-to-people exchanges between the two countries are flourishing, with China-Colombia friendship deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples. XI JINPING
President