Meeting with Assad sees unveiling of key partnership

President Xi Jinping and visiting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad jointly announced the establishment of a strategic partnership between China and Syria on Friday, and they vowed to promote bilateral cooperation and jointly safeguard international fairness and justice.

The two leaders witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation documents, including those on jointly building the Belt and Road and economic and technological cooperation, after their meeting in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province.

The Syrian president is in Hangzhou to attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games. This is Assad's second visit to China since he took office as president in 2000. His last trip to the country was in 2004.

On Friday, Xi also met with Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who is in Hangzhou to attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games.

During his meeting with Assad, Xi said that China-Syria relations have withstood the test of international changes, and the friendship between the two countries has become even stronger. The establishment of a strategic partnership will be an important milestone in the history of bilateral relations, he added.

Xi emphasized that China is willing to continue to work with Syria to firmly support each other on issues concerning their core interests and major concerns, safeguard the common interests of both countries and those of developing countries, and uphold international fairness and justice.

China supports Syria in resisting foreign interference, opposing unilateral bullying, and maintaining national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It also supports Syria's efforts in reconstruction, strengthening its counterterrorism capabilities, promoting a political solution to the Syrian issue under the "Syrian-led, Syria-owned" principle established by the United Nations Security Council, improving relations with other Arab countries, and playing a greater role in international and regional affairs, he said.

Assad commented on China's development, and said China has always stood on the side of international fairness and justice, international law and international humanitarianism and playing an important and constructive role in international affairs.

The Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, all proposed by President Xi, aim to promote cooperation and help all parties to achieve security and development and share a future of peace and prosperity, he said, adding that Syria highly appreciates and firmly supports these initiatives and will actively participate in them.

Syria is willing to strengthen bilateral friendly cooperation with China and closely communicate and coordinate on international and regional affairs, he said.

The two countries issued the joint statement on the establishment of a strategic partnership.

During his meeting with Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Xi said that China supports Kuwait in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and is willing to jointly uphold the "golden rule" of noninterference in internal affairs, which is the development foundation for developing countries.

China appreciates Kuwait's active participation in jointly building the Belt and Road and supports it in implementing its national development plan Vision 2035, Xi said. The nation is willing to deepen strategic coordination and cooperation with Kuwait in investment, energy, infrastructure, environmental governance, the digital economy, law enforcement and security, and enhance people-to-people exchanges, he added.

Xi expressed China's readiness to work with Kuwait to implement the outcomes of the first China-Arab States Summit and the China-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit, continuously enhance the level of China-Arab and China-Gulf cooperation, and strengthen communication and cooperation on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries.

The crown prince said Kuwait will continue to adhere to the one-China policy, firmly support China's stance on its core interests, and work with China to support all countries in choosing development paths that are in line with their national conditions.

Kuwait is willing to deepen practical cooperation in various fields with China and maintain close communication and cooperation in the Middle East and Gulf regions, he said.

After the meeting, they witnessed the signing of the Joint Statement on the Five-Year Plan for China-Kuwait Bilateral Cooperation (2024-28) and a number of bilateral cooperation documents in areas such as renewable energy, infrastructure construction and environmental governance.

caodesheng@chinadaily.com.cn