BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and Barbados Governor-General Sir Elliott Belgrave on Tuesday exchanged congratulations on the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between their countries.

In his congratulatory message, Xi said that Barbados is an important cooperation partner for China in the Caribbean region, adding that the past 40 years have seen continuous development of China-Barbados relations and close exchanges at various levels.

Practical cooperation in various fields have been fruitful, and the friendship between the two peoples has been increasingly deepened, Xi said.

"I attach great importance to the development of China-Barbados relations, and am willing to work with you to enhance exchanges on development experiences and the sharing of opportunities, pushing China-Barbados relations to new and greater achievements to better benefit the two countries and peoples," Xi said.

In his message, Belgrave said he expects bilateral pragmatic cooperation to continuously deepen, pushing forward ties between the two countries.

He said he himself and the Barbados government and people will always be China's friend, and expressed hope for the desire of the Chinese people for greater development and prosperity.