National flags of China and Ecuador Photo: VCG

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso, who attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games on Friday, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Saturday. A joint statement on deepening bilateral ties was released, which is set to push China-Ecuador relations to a new phase.

The two sides should strengthen strategic communication, take the opportunity of launching negotiations around free trade agreement and deepen practical cooperation, Xi said.

Bilateral trade increased last year against the headwinds of the COVID-19 pandemic, and cooperation around energy, infrastructure and telecommunications has yielded fruitful results.

Both sides should continue to promote the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation, and create new growth areas such as health, the digital economy, and the green Silk Road, Xi noted.

China is willing to continue providing help for Ecuador in terms of fighting the pandemic, and strengthen bilateral cooperation on vaccines.

Meanwhile, he expressed the hope that Ecuador could continue providing a fair and convenient business environment for Chinese firms operating in the Latin American country.

For his part, Lasso said China is the most important partner for Ecuador, and the cooperation with China is crucial for Ecuadorian social and economic development, while expressing appreciation for China's support in his country's COVID-19 vaccination rollout.

Ecuador firmly supports the one-China principle and hopes to strengthen bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, energy, infrastructure and other fields, he said, adding that the country will actively participate in the construction of BRI.

Global Times