Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, and Turkmen Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov respectively in Beijing on Friday.

Princess Sirindhorn arrived in Beijing on Thursday to attend the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games's opening ceremony Friday night.

Wang called Princess Sirindhorn a good friend of the Chinese people and welcomed her to attend the opening ceremony.

China highly appreciates the Thai royal family's consistent policy of friendship with China and is willing to work together with Thailand to further improve bilateral relations, the foreign minister said.

In the face of the pandemic, an event unseen in a century, China and Thailand have stuck together to overcome difficulties, Wang added, pointing out that China was the first country to provide COVID-19 vaccines to Thailand and remains the largest vaccines supplier to the country.

China has effectively fulfilled its commitment to make vaccines a global public good and has provided more than 2.1 billion doses of vaccines to other countries, especially developing countries, the Chinese foreign minister said.

"One out of every two COVID vaccines administered across the globe is made in China," Wang noted.

Princess Sirindhorn, who has visited China nearly 50 times, expressed her gratitude for the country's strong support for Thailand's fight against the pandemic. "Thailand highly values Thai-Chinese exchanges and cooperation in various fields," she said.

During a meeting with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Friday, Wang said the Beijing Winter Olympics will bring confidence and joy to people in countries across the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sixty-six countries, regions and international organizations have sent official representatives to attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games, which demonstrated their support for the Olympic spirit and China's efforts in hosting the event, Wang said. 

Balakrishnan said the biggest change the world has seen during the past century was the rapid development and progress of China. 

Singapore is taking part in the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China, he said, adding that Singapore stands ready to advance the building of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor with China, and enhance bilateral cooperation in fields such as the digital economy, green development and infrastructure. 

Wang underscored the mutual understanding, trust and support between the two countries. He said China is willing to make efforts with Singapore to inject new impetus into bilateral relations and strive for common development and prosperity at a higher level. 

The two diplomats also exchanged views on the South China Sea. Wang said China stands ready to work with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to maintain peace and stability in the region.

China attaches great importance to Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov's trip to China to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, which reflects the deep relationship between the two countries, Wang said on Friday during a meeting with Turkmen Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov. 

Meredov came to China to accompany the Turkmen president to attend the opening ceremony of the Games.

Wang and Meredov exchanged views on bilateral relations, Afghan issues and China's cooperation with the five Central Asian countries.  

A virtual summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the five Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, was held successfully and China highly appreciates the proposals put forward by the five countries, Wang said.  

China is ready to work with Turkmenistan and other Central Asian countries to implement the consensus reached at the summit and to step up coordination to achieve more tangible results in cooperation with the five countries.  

Meredov extended his greetings to China on the new Chinese Year of the Tiger and his congratulations on the opening of the Winter Olympics.

(Cover: Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn in Beijing, China, February 4, 2022. /Chinese Foreign Ministry)