Xi Jinping Meets with Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso

On the afternoon of February 5, 2022, President Xi Jinping met with Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso, who was on a visit to China to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, at the Great Hall of the People.

Xi Jinping pointed out, since China and Ecuador established diplomatic ties more than 40 years ago, bilateral relations have always maintained sound and steady development. The two countries firmly support each other's core interests and are good friends trusting each other. Last year, the two countries joined hands to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral trade saw positive growth despite overall difficulties, cooperation in infrastructure construction, energy and minerals, communications and other fields was fruitful, and exchanges and cooperation in the fields of education and tourism, as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges, became increasingly close. Today, the two sides issued a joint statement on deepening China-Ecuador comprehensive strategic partnership, which will push China-Ecuador relations into a new stage of development.

Xi Jinping stressed, the two sides should strengthen strategic communication and coordination and continue to support each other on issues concerning respective core interests. The two sides should take the opportunity of the start of negotiations on the free trade agreement to deepen pragmatic cooperation. The two sides should continue to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and foster new growth points such as the health Silk Road, digital Silk Road and green Silk Road. China is willing to continue to provide assistance for Ecuador in fighting the pandemic and strengthen vaccine cooperation. China hopes that Ecuador will continue to provide a fair and convenient business environment for Chinese enterprises to invest and operate in Ecuador. China is willing to cooperate closely with Ecuador in international affairs and safeguard true multilateralism. Ecuador is welcome to share China's development opportunities and actively support the Global Development Initiative.

Lasso said, I would like to thank President Xi Jinping for inviting me to visit China and attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, and once again extend congratulations on the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. This trip is unforgettable. China is Ecuador's most important cooperative partner. Cooperation with China is crucial to Ecuador's economic and social development. Ecuador will never forget that when Ecuador was in its most difficult time in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese government and people extended a valuable helping hand to the Ecuadorian people, making Ecuador one of the countries with the highest COVID-19 vaccination rate in the Latin American region. One in every two doses of vaccine administered in Ecuador is from China. China has never attached any political strings when rendering help to Ecuador and other countries. Ecuador attaches great importance to the Ecuador-China comprehensive strategic partnership, firmly pursues the one-China principle, hopes to strengthen cooperation with China in trade, investment, energy, infrastructure, communications and other fields, and is willing to actively participate in the Belt and Road cooperation and support the Global Development Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping.

After the meeting, the two sides issued the Joint Statement of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Ecuador on Deepening China-Ecuador Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Ding Xuexiang, Yang Jiechi, Wang Yi, He Lifeng and others were present at the meeting.