Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) holds talks with his Seychelles counterpart Sylvestre Radegonde in Victoria, Seychelles, Jan. 9, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Yan)

VICTORIA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with his Seychellois counterpart Sylvestre Radegonde on Saturday during an official visit to Seychelles.

Wang said that China and Seychelles have a long tradition of friendship, and the relationship between the two countries is a model of equal treatment and mutual benefit between large and small countries.

China supports the new Seychelles government's efforts on governance and is willing to take the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with Seychelles as an opportunity to continuously consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations and push mutually beneficial cooperation to a new height, Wang said.

Wang said China appreciates that Seychelles takes a firm stand in the one-China principle and Seychelles understands and supports China on issues involving China's core interests.

China will also continue to uphold justice for Seychelles on the international and regional stage and support Seychelles in safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development rights and interests, he said.

Wang said that China expresses condolences to Seychelles for the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, fully understands the difficulties encountered by Seychelles, and is willing to provide help in fighting the pandemic within its capabilities.

"We believe that the friendship between the two countries will deepen further after experiencing the test of the epidemic," said Wang.

China is willing to continue to jointly promote the construction of the "Belt and Road" with Seychelles, actively implement the achievements of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), fully tap the potential of cooperation in green development, blue economy and tourism, strengthen cooperation in clean energy, marine aquaculture and air transportation, and help Seychelles in work resumption and economic recovery, Wang said.

China is willing to work with African countries including Seychelles to make preparations for the new session of the FOCAC, listen to the opinions of Seychelles, promote the upgrading of China-Africa cooperation, according to the new situation of China-Africa relations and the new needs of development, to build a "Healthy Africa", a "Made in Africa", an "Inter-connected Africa", a "Harvest Africa", a "Digital Africa", a "Green Africa" and a "Safe Africa", and promote Africa's development, revitalization as well as independent and sustainable development, Wang said.

China appreciates that Seychelles takes a firm stand of independence in international exchanges and actively advocates multilateralism, Wang said. The two sides should strengthen their support and cooperation within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations and jointly voice their support to multilateralism and win-win cooperation, and their opposition to unilateralism and division.

Radegonde said that since the independence of Seychelles, China has provided continuous assistance to its development and has been in the same boat with Seychelles through thick and thin. Seychelles is deeply grateful for this.

The visit of the Chinese foreign minister under the epidemic situation showed his firm support for Seychelles, Radegonde said. Seychelles highly appreciates China's cooperation projects in Seychelles and hopes to further strengthen cooperation with China in tourism, energy conservation, environmental protection, and other fields.

Radegonde said Seychelles is pleased to be treated equally within the framework of the FOCAC and supports China's relevant ideas for convening a new session of the FOCAC.

Seychelles and China have many identical and similar views on international relations, Radegonde said. Seychelles appreciates China's active safeguarding of the common interests of developing countries in the international arena and its support for small countries and developing countries like Seychelles to expand their voice.

Seychelles is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China in international affairs and actively supports China's cooperation initiatives, Radegonde said.

The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.

After the talks, the foreign ministers of the two countries witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between China and Seychelles on the construction and implementation of a low-carbon demonstration zone for South-South cooperation to deal with climate change.