Eritrean president meets Chinese FM on ties

Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki met visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing on Saturday and both voiced their readiness to further strengthen bilateral ties and China-Africa cooperation, according to sources from Asmara.

At the meeting, Li said the Chinese government attaches great importance to the development of Sino-Eritrean relations and will continue, to the best of its ability, to provide aid to the African country.

China is ready to enhance cooperation with Eritrea within the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to push for faster, more healthy development of bilateral friendly relations and cooperation, the Chinese foreign minister said.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1993, the friendly relations and political mutual trust between the two countries have grown steadily, and the two sides have also had good cooperation in economy, trade, culture, education, health and human resources, Li said, adding that the two countries have also had close coordination in international affairs.

Isaias spoke highly of China's efforts to strengthen cooperation with Africa and provide help in the development of the continent. The important measures taken by the Chinese government at the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in November were very enouraging and African countries, including Eritrea, would benefit from these measures, the president said.

Isaias reiterated his country's One China policy, and reaffirmed his support for the great undertaking of China's reunification.

Eritrea is the sixth stop of Li's current eight-day African tour, which had already taken him to Benin, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Chad, the Central African Republic. Li will also visit Botswana.

Source: Xinhua