Xi holds talks with Brunei's Sultan

BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping held talks with Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah in Beijing on Thursday, calling on the two countries to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and strategic coordination.

Xi said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties more than 30 years ago, the two countries have continuously deepened political mutual trust, actively aligned development strategies, and achieved fruitful results in practical cooperation in various fields.

The two countries have also maintained good coordination in international and regional affairs, set an example of relationship between countries of different sizes, which features equality and mutual benefit, and made positive contributions to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity, he added.

Xi said the joint building of a China-Brunei community with a shared future conforms to the trend of the times, serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples, and opens a new chapter in bilateral relations.

He called on the two countries to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and strategic coordination, respect and trust each other, and always be good neighbors facing each other across the sea, good friends trusting each other, and good partners for common development.

Xi said the two countries should enhance the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Brunei's Wawasan 2035, and advance the two flagship projects of the Guangxi-Brunei Economic Corridor and the Hengyi Petrochemical project.

Xi said China is willing to encourage more Chinese businesses to invest in Brunei, support Brunei's development of the digital economy, artificial intelligence, and new energy industries, and help the country to achieve economic diversification.

He said China supports hybrid rice research cooperation between the two countries and hopes that Brunei will better use platforms such as the China International Import Expo and the China-ASEAN Expo to expand exports of quality agricultural and fishery products to China.

Xi also underlined the need for the two countries to deepen exchanges and cooperation in fields such as education, culture, tourism and sports.

China and Brunei should jointly advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, safeguard international fairness and justice, and play a positive role in promoting global and regional peace and stability, Xi said.

Hassanal spoke highly of China's remarkable achievements in maintaining sustained and rapid economic growth and lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty.

He said the three major global initiatives proposed by China are playing a key role in promoting world peace, stability and development, which demonstrates China's sense of responsibility as a major country.

He expressed his appreciation to China for supporting Brunei's economic diversification strategy, saying that bilateral cooperation has benefited the people of Brunei.

Brunei firmly adheres to the one-China policy and is willing to consolidate a strategic cooperative partnership with China to bring more benefits to the two peoples, he said, adding that Brunei will strengthen political mutual trust, deepen cooperation on trade, agriculture, fishery and energy, and promote people-to-people exchanges with China.

After the talks, the two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of a number of documents on judicial cooperation, Belt and Road cooperation, and cooperation in fields such as economy, trade and media.