China and Bahrain elevate ties, eye deeper cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa on Friday announced the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

The announcement came as President Xi held talks with King Hamad, who is in China for a state visit. He also attended the opening ceremony of the 10th ministerial conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in Beijing on Thursday.

Bahrain is a good friend and partner of China in the Gulf region, Xi said, adding that although the two countries have different national conditions, they have always treated each other sincerely and enjoyed friendly relations.

As this year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Bahrain, Xi said China is ready to work with Bahrain to develop their comprehensive strategic partnership and to bring more benefits to the two peoples.

China firmly supports Bahrain's efforts to safeguard national sovereignty, security and stability and supports Bahrain's path of independent development, as well as Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030 and its diversified development strategy, he said.

China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Bahrain in fields including energy, investment, transportation, new energy and the digital economy and achieve more results in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, Xi said.

China maintains that countries with different systems and civilizations should respect each other and coexist peacefully, he said, vowing support for peace and reconciliation among Middle East countries.

China is willing to work with regional countries, including Bahrain, to promote the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future, strengthen coordination on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations and safeguard the common interests of developing countries, he added.

Hamad said Bahrain hopes to deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields, adding that Bahrain is firmly committed to the one-China principle and supports China in realizing peaceful reunification.

He said Bahrain is willing to work with China to promote the early conclusion of the free trade agreement between the Gulf Cooperation Council and China and jointly build an Arab-China community with a shared future in the new era.

After their talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of cooperation documents in fields including investment, green and low-carbon development, e-commerce and the digital economy.

(With input from Xinhua)