Senior Chinese diplomat meets with Burundian FM

Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, meets with Burundian Foreign Minister Albert Shingiro in Beijing, capital of China, July 11, 2023. [Xinhua/Liu Bin]

BEIJING -- Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with Burundian Foreign Minister Albert Shingiro in Beijing on Tuesday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, thanked Burundi for its positive contribution to the successful holding of the first high-level conference of Forum on Global Action for Shared Development. He appreciated Burundi's active support and participation in the Global Development Initiative, saying that the implementation of the initiative would help Burundi's economic and social development.

China and Burundi always maintain a high degree of mutual trust and firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, Wang noted, adding that China will continue to support Burundi in safeguarding its own rights and interests and accelerating its own development.

China is concentrating on its modernization drive and promoting national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization, which will also provide new development opportunities for Burundi and other developing countries, Wang said.

Noting that China's cooperation with Burundi and other developing countries never attaches any political conditions, Shingiro said Burundi is willing to carry out more pragmatic cooperation with China in agriculture, infrastructure construction and other fields.

Burundi firmly supports China's position on issues concerning its core interests and major concerns and adheres to the one-China principle, Shingiro said, adding that Burundi opposes politicizing human rights issues in developing countries and is willing to strengthen cooperation with China, adhere to multilateralism, and safeguard common interests.