Photo: VCG

Chinese President Xi Jinping held a series of bilateral meetings on Friday local time in Peru, on the sidelines of the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting hosted in the capital Lima. 

On Friday, President Xi met with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, respectively. 

During Xi’s meeting with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, he  said China stands ready to work with Thailand to carry forward the traditional friendship, strengthen the alignment of development strategies, deepen exchanges on governance experience, advance mutually beneficial cooperation across various fields, support the modernization of both countries and push forward the building of a China-Thailand community with a shared future, according to Xinhua. 

In meeting with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Xi said that China is ready to join hands with Singapore and continue to march forward together on the road of modernization and open a new chapter of high-quality development.

Xi also called on China and South Korea to promote a sound and steady development of the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries on Friday. 

During the meeting with Chilean President Gabriel Boric on Friday afternoon, Xi said that China and Chile should expand bilateral cooperation to more sustainable and broader areas with high-level free trade and more open industrial policies. 

In the next meeting with New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Xi said that China is ready to join New Zealand in building a bilateral relationship featuring mutual respect, mutual tolerance, cooperation and common development. Xi also urged China and New Zealand to regard each other as an opportunity and partner, rather than a challenge or threat.

Xi also told Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba that China-Japan relations are at a critical stage of improvement and development, and he is ready to strengthen communication and coordination with the Japanese prime minister to jointly push China-Japan relations along the right track and make steady and long-term progress.

Ishiba said that Japan has no intention of decoupling from China. He stressed that Japan's position on the Taiwan question, based on the Japan-China joint communique in 1972, remains unchanged

Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times that the intensive high-level meetings underscore China's recognized prestige and influence among other Asia-Pacific countries, highlighting China's role in promoting regional stability, safeguarding peace, and contributing to prosperity. 

The series of bilateral meetings shows that both China and relevant countries in the Asia-Pacific are eager to mitigate the uncertainties in the region’s political, economic and social order. Closer coordination and cooperation are essential for ensuring sustained prosperity and stability, Li said. 

It is worth noting that most of the six countries are, commonly recognized as allies and partners of the US.

According to Li, the above fact may indicate apprehension among US allies regarding American policies in the region and in international trade, and they are seeking to enhance stability by strengthening ties with China to better protect their general interests.

These six countries share strong economic and trade ties with China. Therefore, the use of such an opportunity to hold high-level meetings advances shared interests and fosters consensus on regional stability and prosperity, Li said.