China stands ready to better synergize the Belt and Road Initiative with Mongolia, Malaysia, and Timor-Leste's development strategies and speed up mutually beneficial cooperation with these three countries, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.

Wang held separate meetings with his counterparts from Mongolia, Malaysia and Timor-Leste. The talks took place on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers' meeting.

Noting that China and Mongolia have maintained diplomatic ties for 70 years, Wang told Mongolian Foreign Minister Damdin Tsogtbaatar that the two sides should take this opportunity to further enhance political mutual trust and accommodate each other’s core interests and major concerns.
 

The two sides should align the Belt and Road Initiative with Mongolia's development strategy and achieve more results in practical cooperation.

Tsogtbaatar warned of rising uncertainties and stressed that the Belt and Road Initiative represents multilateralism, which is beneficial for promoting regional sustainable growth.

Mongolia also fully supports the idea of building a community with a shared future for mankind proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and agreed that a stable, strong and prosperous China is in the interests of Mongolia and can bring important development opportunities to Mongolia, Tsogtbaatar added.

As this year marks the 45 years of diplomatic relationship between China and Malaysia, Wang told Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah that China is willing to work with Malaysia to implement the important consensus reached by the two leaders, to strengthen strategic mutual trust and enhance win-win cooperation.

The Belt and Road Initiative is highly consistent with Malaysia's development strategy, Wang said, adding the two sides should step up cooperation in developing twin industrial parks.

China welcomes the relaunch of the East Coast Rail Link project, the Chinese foreign minister added.

Saifuddin pointed to Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's two visits to China in the half year since assuming office, as examples of how Malaysia attached great importance to developing bilateral ties.

He added that the Belt and Road Initiative is an open and inclusive initiative, that makes our world more balanced.

When talking to Timor-Leste's Foreign Minister Dionisio da Costa Babo Soares, the Chinese foreign minister mentioned that China and Timor-Leste are good partners.

Noting that several projects constructed by Chinese enterprises have benefited local people's livelihood and are welcomed by people of Timor-Leste, Wang said China is willing to work with Timor-Leste to set up a Belt and Road Initiative cooperation plan and expand cooperation in several areas.

In international affairs, China maintains that all countries, big or small, are equal, will always stand on developing countries' side and firmly safeguard their interests, he added.

Wang also said China supports Timor-Leste to play a greater role in regional and international affairs and welcome Timor-Leste's accession to ASEAN.

Dionisio da Costa said China is a reliable friend of Timor-Leste and expressed thanks for the Chinese assistance to Timor-Leste's economic development.

He also said Timor-Leste is willing to actively participate in the Belt and Road cooperation and to work with China to push bilateral comprehensive cooperative partnership to a new level.

(Chinese Foreign Minster Wang Yi (R) meets with Mongolian Foreign Minister Damdin Tsogtbaatar in Bangkok, Thailand, August 2, 2019. /Photo via Chinese Foreign Ministry)