President Xi Jinping met with President of Madagascar Hery Rajaonarimampianina at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing On Monday.

President Xi said since China and Madagascar established diplomatic relations 45 years ago, the two sides always respect each other and treat each other equally, and understand and support on issues concerning each side's core interests and major concerns, with bilateral cooperation in all fields bearing rich fruits.

The two countries should maintain high-level communication, expand exchanges in all areas between governments, legislative bodies, political parties, local governments and others, intensify shares of regulatory experience, and consolidate the political foundation of friendship, Xi pointed out.

Xi added there is great potential for China – Madagascar mutually beneficial cooperation. China welcomes Madagascar to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative, would like to support Madagascar to play a role of bridge tied with Africa under the initiative, lift the relationship between the two countries to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and strengthen the docking with Madagascar under the framework of ten major China-Africa cooperation plans and Belt and Road Initiative.

We would combine Madagascar’s actual demands and China’s comparative advantages, focus to provide supports on three fields, including infrastructure construction, human resources development and investment and trade facilitation, Xi said.

President of Madagascar Hery said China is an important partner of Madagascar and Africa. He added his country is willing to be a link between China and Africa, and hoped strengthened cooperation between the two sides can help promote industrialization of African countries including Madagascar. Hery also expressed he is glad to visit China at the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. 

‍Hery spoke highly of President Xi’s speech at the 2017 World Economic Forum in Davos in January, and expressed his support to the Belt and Road Initiative. He hoped the two sides can enhance cooperation in fields such as energy, aviation, transportation, ports and airport construction. He said his country is willing to coordinate with the Chinese side in international affairs. 

After talks, the two state heads witnessed signature of a memorandum of understanding on the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and bilateral cooperation documents in economic and trade as well as infrastructure construction areas.