Liu said, since China established diplomatic relations with PICs, both sides have always maintained friendly exchanges and expanded communication and cooperation, setting an example of South-South cooperation. President Xi Jinping held group meetings with leaders of PICs having diplomatic relations with China in 2014 and 2018, elevating our relations to the China-PICs comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development, opening up a new chapter of China-PICs relations. The Chinese side is willing to, together with the PICs, implement the important consensus of the leaders of both sides, adhere to mutual respect, mutual help, and openness and inclusiveness, promote cooperation in such areas as the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, facilitate peace and development in PICs region, and continue to be good friends sharing the same ideal and following the same path, good brothers sharing weal and woe and good partners marching forward together.

Liu said, in the second half of the year, the CPC will hold the 20th CPC National Congress, drawing a blueprint for the development of the CPC and China for a period of time in the future. This will bring more development opportunities for all countries in the world, including the PICs. The establishment of the mechanism of China-Pacific Island Countries (PICs) Political Leadership Dialogue has built a new and important platform for both sides to strengthen strategic communication, enhance political mutual trust, and advance practical cooperation. In the face of profound changes unseen in a century, the CPC is willing to, together with all the political parties of the PICs, deepen experience exchange and mutual learning in state governance and administration, push practical cooperation in such areas as poverty alleviation, agricultural production, trade and investment, join hands to cope with global challenges such as climate change, build a closer China-PICs community with a shared future, and promote world peace, stability, development and prosperity.

Leaders of the political parties of the PICs spoke highly of China’s remarkable achievements in fighting the COVID-19 epidemic, ending extreme poverty and other fields under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core. They believed China’s successful experience is an importance reference for the PICs to realize prosperity and development. Political parties of the PICs thanked the Chinese side for offering precious support and help in areas including infrastructure and anti-epidemic. They said they will continue to firmly adhere to the one-China principle, work with the CPC to enhance inter-party communication, cooperation and mutual learning, propel the integration of the Belt and Road Initiative, Global Development Initiative with the development strategies of their own countries, jointly cope with urgent challenges including climate change, boost the sustainable development of the PICs, and build a community with a shared future for mankind together. All parties wished the 20th CPC National Congress a complete success.

The dialogue was presided over by Guo Yezhou, Vice-minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, and was attended by representatives of the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Commerce, the China International Development Cooperation Agency and Jiangsu Province.

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