President Xi Jinping Meets With Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam

On the afternoon of November 16 local time, President Xi Jinping met with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam in San Francisco.

President Xi Jinping noted that China and Brunei are friendly neighbors across the sea and good partners who trust and support each other. Over the past 30 years and more since the two countries established diplomatic relations, they have continuously deepened political mutual trust, actively synergized development strategies, produced abundant fruits in practical cooperation across the board, and maintained good coordination in international and regional affairs. Together, they have set a fine example of countries of different sizes treating each other as equals and enjoying mutually beneficial and win-win interactions, and made positive contribution to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the strategic cooperative partnership between China and Brunei. China stands ready to work with Brunei to carry out high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, promote sustained progress in bilateral relations, and deliver more benefits for the two peoples.

President Xi Jinping stressed that China supports Brunei in following a development path suited to its national conditions, welcomes the import of more quality products from Brunei and encourages more Chinese businesses to invest in the country. There should be broader practical cooperation in areas including food security, digital economy and green development, and people-to-people exchanges such as those in education, culture, tourism, health and at the subnational levels. The two sides should work together to bring about positive progress in joint development at sea and safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea. The Chinese side attaches high importance to East Asian cooperation, and will work with Brunei and other ASEAN member states to advance regional economic integration and keep East Asian cooperation in the right direction.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah congratulated China on successfully hosting the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou not long ago. Recalling the warm and long-standing relations between the two countries, the Sultan said Brunei and China have always enjoyed good development of their relations and smooth progress in exchanges and cooperation in various fields. Brunei is firmly committed to the one-China policy. It attaches great importance to growing its relations with China, and stays committed to enhancing cooperation in such areas as the economy and trade, agriculture, fisheries and green energy, deepening people-to-people ties, and engaging in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Brunei would like to continue to work with China to strengthen their cooperation within the ASEAN framework, looks forward to an early conclusion of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), and will make joint efforts to build the South China Sea into a sea of peace and friendship in the interest of regional peace and security. Brunei stands ready to maintain close communication with China on regional issues such as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Cai Qi, Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Wang Yi, Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, attended the meeting.