Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Core Country Summit Diplomacy... Unified Voice as "Partners"

Central Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Oceania, etc.
All-weather strategic partners and Belt and Road footholds mentioned

Chinese President Xi Jinping held a series of bilateral meetings in Beijing with leaders from various countries attending this year's largest diplomatic event in China, the 3rd Belt and Road (Land and Maritime Silk Road) Forum for International Cooperation, emphasizing the spirit of partnership.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 17th, President Xi held relay summit meetings at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing with heads of state from regions including Central Asia's Kazakhstan, Africa's Ethiopia, Eastern Europe's Hungary, South America's Chile, and Oceania's Papua New Guinea?countries with traditional friendly relations with China or those to which China has devoted significant efforts.

President Xi told Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, "Ten years ago, the 'Silk Road Economic Belt' initiative was first proposed in Kazakhstan," adding, "No matter how the international situation changes, the friendly ideals between our two countries must be passed down through generations." In response, President Tokayev said, "China is a friend and partner that Kazakhstan will trust forever," before signing cooperation documents on connectivity and economic development.

Meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, President Xi elevated bilateral relations to the highest level of "all-weather strategic partnership." Previously, China's only all-weather strategic partner was Pakistan, united by a common interest in countering India. Xi said, "Ethiopia has been a leader in Africa in terms of Belt and Road cooperation achievements over the past decade," and added, "With the establishment of an all-weather strategic partnership, we should become partners promoting the unity of the Global South and the protection of international fairness and justice." Prime Minister Ahmed responded, "Ethiopia hopes to learn from China's party and state governance experience and welcomes more Chinese investment in Ethiopia."

President Xi told Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb?n, "Hungary was one of the first countries to recognize the People's Republic of China and establish diplomatic relations," praising Hungary for maintaining a long-standing friendly China policy and actively supporting the Belt and Road Initiative. He also commended Prime Minister Orb?n for attending the Belt and Road Forum three times in a row. Xi emphasized completing and opening the China-invested Hungary-Serbia railway on schedule, expanding cooperation in operating China-Europe logistics cooperation zones, e-commerce, IT, and new energy industries, and increasing imports of Hungarian agricultural products.

President Xi signed a Belt and Road cooperation plan with Chilean President Gabriel Boric, whose country was the first South American nation to establish diplomatic relations with China in 1970. Xi also met with James Marape, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, one of the South Pacific island countries where China is recently competing with the United States for influence. President Xi especially emphasized to developing country leaders the importance of South-South cooperation and China's role in facilitating it.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.