Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani on bilateral economic cooperation on Monday.

During the pandemic, leaders of the two countries have exchanged telephone calls and letters, which fully reflect the strategic mutual trust and close relationship between the two sides, Wang noted. He said the two countries should deepen practical cooperation in the fields of energy, infrastructure and investment, explore new opportunities in areas such as 5G and artificial intelligence, and push forward negotiations on the China-Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Area.

On his part, Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar attaches great importance to its strategic partnership with China and acknowledges the importance of Chinese enterprises in building infrastructure in Qatar. Qatar is willing to further consolidate all-round cooperation with China in energy and other fields, he said. Qatar has broad consensus with China on international and regional issues, and the two sides should continue to strengthen coordination and communication on this issue to safeguard the common interests of both parties, he added.