China always views and develops bilateral relations with Venezuela from a strategic and long-term perspective, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday, calling on the two countries to bring their comprehensive strategic partnership to a higher level.
Xi made the remarks during a meeting with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is in China from Thursday to Sunday for a state visit.
Xi welcomed Maduro for his tenth visit to China, saying that Beijing appreciates Maduro for attaching great importance to developing China-Venezuela relations and firmly supporting cooperation between the two countries.
He hailed Venezuela's understanding and support on issues concerning China's core interests and major concerns, and added that China will continue to support Venezuela in exploring a development path suited to its national conditions, and support Venezuela's efforts in maintaining the stability of the country.
China and Venezuela should optimize innovative and practical cooperation, said the Chinese president. He also called on the two sides to strengthen cooperation within the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Beijing, September 14, 2018. /Xinhua Photo
He stressed that the two countries should continue to strengthen communication in the United Nations and other international and regional organizations, jointly participate in the reform and building of global governance systems, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries.
China has always been committed to the principle of equality, mutual benefits and common development in advancing cooperation with Latin American countries, Xi said, adding that Beijing is willing to facilitate the building of the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum.
Maduro responded that the two sides have reached a consensus on expanding cooperation in a wide range of areas, which fully demonstrates that the bilateral cooperation is all-directional and suits Venezuela's ongoing plan for recovery, growth and economic prosperity.
He added that Venezuela is willing to actively participate in the building of the Belt and Road. The country would like to work together with China to explore effective methods of financing, enhance energy and industrial capacity cooperation, and improve people-to-people exchanges, Maduro told Xi.
"I highly agree with President Xi's concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind and Venezuela will work with China to safeguard multilateralism," the president stressed.
The two leaders then witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents such as the memorandum of understanding on jointly building the Belt and Road.
Proposed by Xi in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe, Africa and other parts of the world along and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Beijing, September 14, 2018. /Xinhua Photo
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also met with Maduro on Friday, saying that China supports Venezuela's efforts to develop its economy and improve its people's livelihood. China is willing to provide assistance to Venezuela within its capacity, he noted.
China will conduct economic and trade exchanges with Venezuela on the basis of equality, mutual benefits, and win-win cooperation, Li told Maduro, calling on the two sides to make their cooperation commercially successful and sustainable.
China hopes Venezuela will provide better policy support and the legal guarantee for bilateral cooperation, Li stressed.
Calling Venezuela-China relations a model for cooperation between countries, Maduro said his country welcomes Chinese companies to actively participate in its economic development.
He laid a wreath at the Monument to the People's Heroes at the Tiananmen Square in Beijing earlier on Friday afternoon.
Maduro was reelected to a second six-year term in May.
Maduro is spearheading economic reforms to diversify the economy, which has long relied on the revenue generated by oil exports.
Venezuela and China established diplomatic relations in 1974 and the bilateral relationship has witnessed faster development since the establishment of their strategic partnership for common development in 2001.
Bilateral trade reached 8.92 billion US dollars in 2017 and the two sides have maintained high-level exchanges as well as dynamic people-to-people and cultural exchanges.