On May 14, 2024, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Bruneian Foreign Minister II Dato' Erywan Pehin Yusof in Beijing.
Wang Yi conveyed President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings to Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam and said that President Xi Jinping has maintained close contact with His Majesty the Sultan, established a deep friendship, and provided important strategic guidance for bilateral relations. Under the guidance of the two heads of state, China-Brunei relations have maintained a momentum of steady development, with fruitful results in cooperation in various fields. The two countries are committed to building an example of equality and mutual benefit among countries of different sizes. China is ready to work with Brunei to follow the important common understandings reached between the two heads of state, deepen the substance of cooperation, expand areas of cooperation, set the long-term goal of building a China-Brunei community with a shared future, and take the bilateral strategic cooperative partnership to a new level.
Noting that this year marks the 40th anniversary of Brunei's independence, Wang Yi said that under the leadership of His Majesty the Sultan, Brunei has adhered to a development path suited to its national conditions, made remarkable achievements in national development, with its people living and working in peace and contentment, and played a unique and important role in regional affairs. China is fostering a new development paradigm and vigorously advancing Chinese modernization. China's development and rejuvenation is driven by its robust internal dynamics and is a historical inevitability, which will bring new opportunities to neighboring countries, including Brunei. China actively supports Brunei in promoting economic diversification, and stands ready to further tap the potential of cooperation in emerging areas such as digital economy, green development and health, foster new growth areas and create more highlights for cooperation. Taking the China-ASEAN Year of People-to-People Exchanges as an opportunity, the two sides can deepen cooperation in education, cultural tourism, sports, sister cities and other fields to further facilitate personnel exchanges. China supports ASEAN centrality and strategic independence, and supports expanding and strengthening the ASEAN-led cooperation mechanism. China is ready to work with ASEAN countries to deepen political mutual trust, keep East Asia cooperation in the right direction, and jointly promote regional development and maintain regional stability. China is ready to work with ASEAN countries to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and strive for the early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.
Erywan Pehin Yusof conveyed the sincere greetings of the Sultan of Brunei to President Xi Jinping and said that the fruitful meeting between the two heads of state in San Francisco at the end of last year has provided important guidance and impetus for the development of Brunei-China relations. China is Brunei's good friend, and bilateral cooperation enjoys a solid foundation and faces new opportunities. Brunei attaches great importance to relations with China and firmly abides by the one-China policy. Brunei looks forward to maintaining high-level exchanges with China and closer cooperation in fields such as economy, trade, agriculture, education, artificial intelligence and big data to push for greater development of bilateral relations. Brunei firmly believes that China's development is an unstoppable historical process, has full confidence in China's economy, and expects and believes that China's development will drive the common development of countries in the region. Brunei highly appreciates China's adherence to principles, promotion of reconciliation and cooperation, and safeguarding of fairness and justice on the Middle East and other hotspot issues, and looks forward to China exerting greater influence and leadership in international and regional affairs. Brunei is willing to work closely with China to safeguard regional peace and stability and promote common development and prosperity.
The two sides also had an exchange of views on international and regional issues of mutual interest and concern.
