China, Lesotho vow to advance ties, deepen cooperation in joint communique

China and Lesotho on Sunday issued a joint press communique, pledging to elevate their strategic partnership to a higher level and to maintain close collaboration in jointly opposing unilateral sanctions, protectionism and economic hegemonism, while promoting an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial, inclusive economic globalization.

The two sides spoke highly of the achievements in the development of bilateral relations, and reaffirmed their commitment to elevating the China-Lesotho strategic partnership as a model of friendly exchanges and common development between countries with different national conditions and systems.

Lesotho supports the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative put forward by China, commending them for injecting stability and certainty into a turbulent world, the communique said.

The two sides agreed to firmly support each other on issues involving their respective core interests and major concerns. Lesotho reaffirmed its steadfast adherence to the one-China principle, recognizing that there is only one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.

Lesotho firmly opposes any form of "Taiwan independence" and supports all efforts made by the Chinese government to achieve national reunification. The communique stressed that the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 is unequivocal and its authority is not to be questioned or challenged.

The two sides emphasized that promoting human rights is a common cause for all humanity, the right to subsistence and the right to development are basic human rights of primary importance, and exchanges and cooperation on human rights should be carried out based on mutual respect and equality.

Issues related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Xizang are China's internal affairs, said the communique, highlighting that both sides oppose politicizing, weaponizing and applying double standards to human rights issues and oppose the interference in the internal affairs of the two countries under the pretext of human rights.

The two sides spoke highly of the important outcomes made in ten partnership actions that China and Africa have jointly taken to advance modernization, which have injected new energy into Lesotho's development in areas such as agriculture, energy transition, infrastructure, health-care and capacity-building.

Both sides also called for establishing a more just and equitable global governance system and building an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security and shared prosperity.