Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo in Beijing on Wednesday, pledging to expand mutually beneficial cooperation and achieve common development.

Noting that China and Guinea-Bissau are reliable good brothers and good partners, Li said China always attaches importance to developing friendly cooperative relations with Guinea-Bissau.

In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the two countries have carried forward the traditional friendship continuously, developed bilateral relations steadily and smoothly, and achieved fruitful cooperation, Li said.

He said China is willing to work with Guinea-Bissau to follow the direction guided by the two heads of state, consolidate and deepen political mutual trust, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, better achieve common development and bring more benefits to the two peoples.

Li noted that China supports the people of Guinea-Bissau in independently exploring a development path suited to its national conditions and supports Guinea-Bissau in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests.

China stands ready to enhance the synergy of development strategies with Guinea-Bissau, share more development experience, advance pragmatic and efficient cooperation with Guinea-Bissau, and help Guinea-Bissau enhance the internal driving force for development, he said.

He called on the two countries to make good use of important platforms such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) to deepen cooperation on agriculture, fisheries and infrastructure construction.

China is willing to import more quality agricultural products from Guinea-Bissau, Li said, noting that China encourages its enterprises to expand investment in Guinea-Bissau and hopes that Guinea-Bissau will continue to provide convenience and support.

"China stands ready to strengthen people-to-people exchanges and cooperation with Guinea-Bissau on medical care, health and education, and welcomes more outstanding Guinea-Bissau students to study in China," he added.

Noting that Guinea-Bissau sincerely appreciates China's long-term valuable support for its economic and social development, Embalo said Guinea-Bissau is willing to further strengthen practical cooperation with China in various fields such as economy, trade and infrastructure construction, and continue to move forward for common development.

Guinea-Bissau firmly abides by the one-China principle, supports the major concepts and global initiatives, including the building of a community with a shared future for humanity and the Belt and Road Initiative, and stands ready to work with China to achieve fruitful results at the next summit of FOCAC, to be held in China this fall, Embalo said.