Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday said China and Syria have formed a strategic partnership featuring mutual trust and support.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks while meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, who is in Beijing to attend the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum.

Congratulating Syria on returning to the League of Arab States (AL), Wang said China and Syria announced the establishment of a strategic partnership last September, drawing a new blueprint for bilateral relations.

China supports Syria in safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and supports the Syrian government in safeguarding its national security, stability and development, he said.

Wang said China appreciates Syria's firm support on issues concerning China's core interests and will, as always, speak out for Syria on multilateral platforms such as the UN Security Council.

It is believed that Syria's return to the AL will play a constructive role in the development of China-Arab relations, and China-Syria relations will also gain new impetus, he said.

For his part, Mekdad said Syria fully supports all global initiatives proposed by China and is willing to work with China to build an international order featuring mutual respect, equal treatment and opposition to hegemony.

Syria unwaveringly adheres to the one-China principle, he said, adding that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, a fact that cannot be denied or challenged.