Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday that China has always regarded Georgia as a good friend and partner, vowing to "elevate bilateral relations to a new level."
Xi made the remarks when meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili in Chengdu, the capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province.
During Garibashvili's visit, the two countries will issue a joint statement and announce the establishment of China-Georgia strategic partnership, Xi noted. The two sides should take this as a new starting point, adhere to planning bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, promote the healthy and stable development of the strategic partnership, and provide assistance for the development and revitalization of the two countries.
Xi emphasized that the two sides should intensify exchanges between governments and political parties, strengthen the exchanges of state governance experience, understand and support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, and be good partners and friends who trust each other and treat each other with respect and as equals.
The two sides should give full play to the role of bilateral mechanisms to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, he continued.
China welcomes Georgia to expand exports of high-quality products to China and encourages Chinese enterprises to invest in Georgia, Xi said.
"In the face of major changes unseen in a century, I have proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI). The purpose is to uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order underpinned by international law," Xi said, adding that China is willing to work with Georgia and the international community to jointly address global challenges and build a community with a shared future for mankind.
For his part, Garibashvili thanked China for its long-term support and for respecting Georgia's sovereignty and independence, adding that Georgia will firmly adhere to the one-China principle.
Highly valuing the friendship and cooperation with China, Garibashvili said Georgia will support and actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative, GDI, GSI and GCI proposed by Xi.
As part of his visit to China, Garibashvili arrived in Chengdu on Wednesday to attend the opening ceremony of the 31st summer edition of the FISU World University Games.