Xi calls for more fruitful practical cooperation with Ecuador

A man visits the Ecuador pavilion during the second China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 6, 2019. (Xinhua/Fan Peishen)

BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday that China is ready to work with Ecuador to achieve more results in bilateral practical cooperation and create more benefits for their peoples.

In a phone conversation with Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso, Xi said China is willing to expand the scale of imports from Ecuador, further liberalize and facilitate bilateral trade and investment, and cultivate new growth points such as the building of a health Silk Road, a digital Silk Road and a green Silk Road.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Ecuador have supported each other and stood together through difficulties, demonstrating the profound friendship between the two peoples, said Xi.

China appreciates Ecuador for attaching great importance to developing ties with China, Xi noted.

In the face of a complicated situation that combines profound global changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century, China and Ecuador, as comprehensive strategic partners, should approach and develop the bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, continue to support each other, coordinate and cooperate with each other, so as to make the traditional friendship everlasting and the China-Ecuador relationship a benchmark for cooperation between developing countries, said Xi.

Staff transfer medical materials donated by the Ecuador Branch of China Road and Bridge Corporation to support Ecuador's fight against COVID-19 in Quito, Ecuador, April 16, 2020. (Photo by Santiago Armas/Xinhua)

Xi added that China stands ready to continue to provide support and assistance to Ecuador in its fight against the pandemic and carry out various forms of anti-pandemic and vaccine cooperation with Ecuador.

Xi expressed his belief that the China-Ecuador relations will achieve greater development with the joint efforts of both sides.

Xi stressed that Ecuador is an important partner of China in jointly building the Belt and Road, and both sides have yielded fruitful results in their cooperation in such traditional fields as infrastructure, energy and minerals, and finance.

China's economy, Xi said, has entered a new stage of development and will be more open and dynamic, which will bring new opportunities to Ecuador and other countries.

China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination in multilateral affairs with Ecuador, safeguard international fairness and justice and the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, said Xi.

A health worker prepares a dose of COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac in Quito, capital of Ecuador, July 28, 2021. (Photo by Santiago Armas/Xinhua)

For his part, Lasso said that on behalf of the Ecuadorian government and people, he would like to once again extend warm congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and on the great achievements the CPC has led the Chinese people to make, including the poverty eradication and anti-pandemic fight.

The vaccines provided by China have been a vital support for Ecuador in fighting against the pandemic, which the Ecuadorian people are grateful for and will never forget, Lasso said.

Ecuador opposes politicizing and stigmatizing the pandemic and hopes to continue to deepen vaccine cooperation with China, he said, adding that the Ecuadorian side regards China as its most important comprehensive strategic partner and welcomes more Chinese enterprises to conduct investment and cooperation in Ecuador.