Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
President Xi pointed out that in recent years, the strategic mutual trust between China and Djibouti has been continuously deepened and the cooperation in various fields has also achieved fruitful results.
Xi noted that China appreciates Djibouti's valuable support on issues related to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang. China will continue to support Djibouti in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and stability and exploring a development path suited to its national conditions. China is ready to work with Djibouti to push the strategic partnership to a new level, Xi said.
Xi said China is willing to expand communication and cooperation with Djibouti in various fields including government, legislature, political parties and military, strengthen mutual exchanges on governance and development experience, and enhance synergy of national development strategies.
Xi said China supports Djibouti in advancing the "Vision 2035" initiative, deepening cooperation with China in ports and investment, and jointly maintaining and operating flagship projects such as Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway. He said China will continue to help Djibouti improve people's livelihood, deal with extreme climate and ensure food security.
Xi also pledged to work closely with Djibouti to safeguard the common interests of developing countries and international fairness and justice, contributing to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.
For his part, Guelleh said he is very pleased to meet with President Xi on the sidelines of the first China-Arab Summit. He extended congratulations on Xi's re-election as general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.
Guelleh thanked China for providing valuable assistance to Djibouti's economic and social development, and said Djibouti is willing to further consolidate the strategic partnership with China and continue to push forward the construction of important infrastructure projects. Djibouti will also continue to support China's legitimate position on issues concerning China's core interests, the president said.