China, Egypt agree to promote pragmatic cooperation in all fields

Yang Jiechi (3rd R), Chinese President Xi Jinping's special representative, and a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, meets with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi (1st R) in Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 16, 2019. (Xinhua/Meng Tao)

CAIRO, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's special representative Yang Jiechi and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi agreed on Wednesday to promote pragmatic cooperation between the two countries in all fields.

China and Egypt have made tremendous progress in developing their comprehensive strategic partnership over the years under the leadership of the two countries' presidents, Yang said.

Yang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said his visit to Egypt aims to implement the important consensuses reached by the two countries' presidents.

He expressed the hope that the two sides will maintain the good momentum in high-level exchanges, continue to enhance political mutual trust, and support each other on issues related to their core interests and of mutual concern.

Within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, the two sides should take advantage of such important platforms as the China-Egypt production capacity cooperation mechanism, to promote pragmatic cooperation in all fields for the benefit of the two peoples, he added.

Yang highlighted the new initiatives Xi proposed at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Summit and the 8th ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum.

China is willing to enhance cooperation with Egypt, a major country in the Arab world and Africa that will soon assume the presidency of the African Union, to jointly implement the outcomes of those meetings and elevate the China-Africa and China-Arab cooperation to a higher level, Yang said.

For his part, Sisi hailed the deep traditional friendship between Egypt and China, and voiced his willingness to continue implementing the consensuses he and Xi reached.

Egypt will push forward the Belt and Road construction with China, deepen coordination on multilateral affairs, and continue to enhance bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, Sisi said.

Egypt will take advantage of the presidency of the African Union to promote China-Africa and China-Arab cooperation so as to achieve more win-win results, he added.

Yang also met with Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Egyptian President's National Security Adviser Faiza Abul-Naga, and Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit.