Xi Jinping meets Norwegian, Spanish prime ministers, vows to promote friendly cooperation

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping met with the prime ministers of Norway and Spain here and pledged to work with friendly countries to promote friendly cooperation.

Xi Jinping met with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store in Beijing on Monday, saying China is willing to work with Norway to promote the continued development of friendly cooperation.

Xi asked Store to convey his greetings to King Harald V. He said that since the two countries established diplomatic ties 70 years ago, the two peoples have respected, appreciated and learned from each other, forging a precious friendship.

Strengthening friendly cooperation between China and Norway conforms to the will of the two peoples, the fundamental interests of the two countries and the global trend of maintaining closer ties between countries to share weal and woe, Xi said.

He stressed that today's world is experiencing profound changes not seen in a century, which are testing the international community's ability to make the right choice.

China will continue to follow the path of peaceful development. By further deepening reform in an all-round manner and advancing China's modernization, China will inject stability and certainty into a world beset with changes and turbulence and create more opportunities for the common development of all countries, Xi said.

Meanwhile, Xi Jinping also called on China and Spain to build long-term and stable bilateral relations with strategic determination and elevate their ties to a higher level during a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Beijing.

During the meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, Xi said China and Spain celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties last year and the two sides have since maintained close exchanges and interactions at all levels and promoted high-quality cooperation in new areas.

Noting that next year will mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Spain comprehensive strategic partnership, he said the two sides should adhere to the original intention of establishing diplomatic relations based on mutual respect and equal treatment, adopt a holistic and long-term vision and add new dimensions to bilateral relations.

Xi Jinping urged the two sides to use platforms such as the Joint Committee on Trade and Economic Cooperation and the China-Spain Joint Commission on Scientific and Technological Cooperation, and promote development in high-tech fields such as artificial intelligence, digital economy and new energy to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.

The Chinese side hopes that Spain will continue to provide a fair, equal, safe and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese enterprises in Spain, he said.

The two sides should maintain inclusiveness and mutual learning, strengthen cultural exchanges in such areas as language education, youth, culture and tourism, and promote people-to-people friendship, Xi added.

Noting that next year will mark the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic relations, Xi said China is willing to work with the EU to review successful experiences in bilateral relations and guide China-EU relations to continue moving in the direction of independence where both sides help each other succeed and benefit the rest of the world. “We hope Spain will continue to play a constructive role to this end,” he added.

Xi said that in today's world of upheaval and change, China and Spain are both responsible and mission-driven countries that uphold multilateralism and free trade.

China is willing to expand cooperation with Spain in third-party markets, strengthen communication and coordination in international organizations such as the UN and the G20, and contribute more positive energy to world peace, stability and human progress, he said.

Sanchez, for his part, said that Spain and China signed several cooperation agreements in areas such as green development during his visit, demonstrating the vast potential and bright prospects of bilateral cooperation.

He expressed the hope that the two sides can strengthen cultural exchanges, deepen cooperation in trade and new energy vehicles, and said Spain is willing to provide a favorable environment for Chinese enterprises.

Spain and China are committed to safeguarding world peace and upholding multilateralism, he said, noting that it is crucial for the international community to strengthen cooperation and work together to address the multiple challenges facing the world today, including unrest and conflict, poverty and climate change.

China is a key force in maintaining world peace and development and plays an important constructive role in solving major international and regional issues, Sanchez added.

Spain views its relations with China from a strategic perspective, is committed to the one-China policy and is willing to be a trusted partner for China, he said, adding that his country looks forward to further deepening the Spain-China comprehensive strategic partnership to make greater contributions to the well-being of the two peoples and world peace and prosperity.

Sanchez said Spain supports free trade and open markets, adding that it does not approve of trade wars and is ready to continue playing a positive role in promoting the healthy development of EU-China relations.

During the meeting, the two sides also exchanged views on the Ukrainian crisis and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.