Chinese Premier to attend meeting of Council of Heads of SCO member states

Beijing: Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and pay an official visit to the Kyrgyz Republic from Oct 24 to 27. It would be the first time that Premier Li would attend the Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of SCO Member States, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said during her regular briefing on Friday.

She said that Premier Li together with other participating leaders would follow through on the consensus reached at the summit in July, have in-depth exchange of views on the SCO Development Strategy and formulate concrete measures on cooperation in such areas as security, economy and trade, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges. “We believe that the meeting will provide more impetus for security, stability and development in regional countries,” she added.

To a question, the spokesperson said that China and Kyrgyzstan were friendly neighbours and comprehensive strategic partners. “Our two countries enjoy high-level political mutual trust, fruitful Belt and Road cooperation, close and effective coordination on the international stage, and a people-to-people bond strengthened by frequent exchanges. We have become good neighbours, good friends, good partners and good brothers,” she added.

She said that in May, President Xi Jinping met President Sadyr Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan, who was on a state visit to China. They jointly elevated the bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era and announced the building of a China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future of good neighborliness and shared prosperity, charting the course for bilateral cooperation, she added.

Mao Ning said the upcoming trip would be Premier Li’s first visit to Kyrgyzstan and the second visit to the country by a Chinese premier in seven years. It would be of important significance for advancing the bilateral relations, deepening practical cooperation and bringing the two peoples closer. During the visit, Premier Li Qiang would meet and have in-depth exchange of views with leaders of Kyrgyzstan on implementing the common understandings reached by the two presidents. “We believe the visit will further deepen the high-level political mutual trust between our two countries, boost all-round cooperation, and promote substantive and tangible progress in our comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era,” she added.