Li calls for enhanced BRI ties

Premier Li Qiang has highlighted China's commitment to enhancing Belt and Road cooperation with Mongolia and the Cook Islands to deliver more fruitful results from the pragmatic and mutually beneficial partnership in multiple fields.

Li made the remarks on Friday in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, during his separate meetings with Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene and Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown. The two foreign dignitaries were in Harbin to attend the closing ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games.

During his meeting with Oyun-Erdene, Li emphasized the friendly ties between China and Mongolia, saying that close cooperation and shared development are in line with the common interests of both nations.

He expressed China's willingness to work with Mongolia to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen political mutual trust, enhance the traditional friendship and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation to bring more benefits to the peoples of both countries.

The premier underlined the need for both countries to enhance alignment of development strategies and policy coordination, expand cooperation in traditional areas such as mineral resources, energy, connectivity and infrastructure, as well as explore collaboration in emerging fields like artificial intelligence and green development, to achieve more practical outcomes.

China is willing to work together with Mongolia and other Asian countries to uphold the common values of peace, unity and cooperation, closely coordinate and cooperate, and practice true multilateralism, in order to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability and better uphold their common interests, he said.

Oyun-Erdene congratulated China on successfully hosting the 9th Asian Winter Games, saying that this event will help promote Asian values and amplify Asia's voice.

He said developing a long-term stable and friendly relationship with China is a top priority in Mongolia's foreign policy.

Mongolia firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and looks forward to working with China to enhance high-level exchanges, align development strategies, and elevate the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries to a higher level, he added.

While meeting with Brown, Li highlighted the sound development of relations between China and the Cook Islands, emphasizing the sincere friendship, equality and mutually beneficial cooperation that have characterized the relationship between the two countries.

China maintains that countries, big or small, are all equal, and it supports the Cook Islands in choosing a development path suitable for its national conditions, he said.

Li expressed China's willingness to strengthen high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with the Cook Islands, and advance mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as maritime, infrastructure construction, agriculture and fisheries.

China is ready to import more high-quality products from the Cook Islands and encourage more people to visit the Pacific island country, he said.

The premier also expressed China's commitment to deepening multilateral cooperation with the Cook Islands, and jointly upholding the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities to build a fair, reasonable and win-win global climate governance system to address the challenges of climate change.

Brown expressed gratitude for China's long-standing support and assistance to the Cook Islands and other Pacific island nations, saying his country values its friendship and cooperation with China and views China as an important partner and a good friend.

The Cook Islands will continue to adhere to the one-China principle, and is willing to deepen cooperation with China in areas such as agriculture, fisheries, infrastructure, livelihood, maritime and tourism, he said, adding it is also willing to strengthen multilateral cooperation with China in responding to climate change.