China ready to enhance all-round cooperation with Brunei: Wang Yi

Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (R) shakes hands with Brunei's Second Minister of Foreign Affairs Haji Erywan during their meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, on July 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

JAKARTA, July 12 (Xinhua) -- China is ready to further enhance all-round cooperation with Brunei, Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi said on Wednesday.

When meeting with Brunei's Second Minister of Foreign Affairs Haji Erywan, Wang said the two countries have deepened political mutual trust and achieved fruitful results in jointly building the Belt and Road under the strategic guidance of both countries' leaders.

The senior Chinese diplomat, who is in the Indonesian capital for a series of ASEAN foreign ministers' meetings on Thursday and Friday, noted that this year marks the fifth anniversary of China-Brunei Strategic Cooperative Partnership and the bilateral ties face new opportunities for development.

China is willing to join hands with Brunei to implement the consensus reached between the two heads of state and enhance synergy of development strategies to further promote bilateral relations and benefit the two peoples, he said.

China has always upheld that all countries, big or small, are equal and has given priority to neighborhood diplomacy, Wang noted.

China joined the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) 20 years ago, which marked a historic milestone in relations between China and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), and supported ASEAN centrality, he said.

As a dialogue partner of ASEAN, China is ready to push forward the negotiations on the upgrade of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area and jointly meet global challenges, Wang said.

For his part, Erywan said the two heads of state have guided the Brunei-China Strategic Cooperative Partnership to achieve strong and robust development, and he hopes that the joint steering committee between both countries will be given full play of its role to expand cooperation in various fields.

Calling China a true friend of ASEAN, he said China is playing a leading and exemplary role in ASEAN's relations with major countries. Brunei supports and will actively work to advance ASEAN-China cooperation.