On September 9, 2014, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a briefing for the Chinese and foreign media. Vice Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping and Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Jianchao briefed the journalists and answered their questions on President Xi Jinping's upcoming attendance of the 14th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and his state visits to Tajikistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and India.
As for attending the 14th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO and paying a state visit to Tajikistan, Cheng Guoping said that the SCO is an important constructive force in promoting the lasting peace and common prosperity in the region. Over the 13 years since its establishment, the member states have seriously practiced the "Shanghai Spirit" featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultations, respecting diversified civilizations and seeking common development, as well as the "Treaty of Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation between the Member States of the SCO", and have continuously deepened strategic cooperation, solidarity and mutual trust, and comprehensively pushed forward practical cooperation in all fields. Since the Bishkek Summit last September, the member states have actively implemented the outcome of the Summit, pushed forward the cooperation in fields such as security, economy, people-to-people and cultural engagement, and foreign exchanges for new and important progress, safeguarded regional security and stability, deepened practical cooperation, enhanced mutual understanding and friendship, powerfully improved the level of regional cooperation and promoted the development of all countries.
Cheng Guoping pointed out that the current international and regional situations are undergoing complicated and profound changes. With the increasing of security challenges in the region of the SCO, the member states place higher expectation on the Organization to maintain peace and jointly seek development. Therefore, the Summit takes on the important task of specifying how the SCO should deal with threats and challenges under the new situation, and will propose specific measures to further deepen security and practical cooperation, which is of great significance for the member states to jointly maintain regional stability and promote common development. The agenda of this SOC summit is as follows: first, hold discussions to further improve the work of the SOC, develop the long-term and good-neighborly friendship among the member states, safeguard the regional security and promote economic cooperation; second, exchange opinions on current major international and regional issues; third, improve the mutual coordination with the observer states and dialogue partners of the SCO; fourth, determine the 2014-2015 chair country of the SCO; fifth, sign and issue the "Dushanbe Declaration" and, by passing a resolution, approve a series of documents including the legal documents regarding the admission of new members, and pass a resolution concerning the celebration on the 70th anniversary of the victory of the World War II and anti-fascist war. Besides, during the Summit, the "Inter-governmental Agreement on Facilitation of International Road Transport Among SCO Members" is expected to be signed. While attending the Summit, President Xi Jinping will hold bilateral and multilateral meetings with President Vladimir Putin of Russia and other state leaders, and make in-depth exchanges of views with the heads of state on the bilateral relations, future development of the SCO and major issues, and enunciate China's views and suggestions.
Cheng Guoping said that Tajikistan is a friendly neighbor of China and an important partner of cooperation in striking the "three evil forces" and jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt. Over the 22 years since the establishment of the diplomatic relationship, China-Tajikistan relations have developed smoothly, the bilateral high-level exchanges have been enhanced, the good-neighborly friendship has been continuously consolidated, and the political mutual trust has been constantly deepened. The two countries have completely resolved the border issues left over from history, firmly supported each other on major issues concerning core interests, and jointly coped with various threats and challenges. President Xi Jinping's visit to Tajikistan this time is an important visit for China-Tajikistan relations under the new era of all-round mutually beneficial cooperation. President Xi Jinping will hold talks with President Emomali Rahmon and respectively meet with Speaker of the Lower House of the Supreme Assembly Shukurdzhon Zukhurov and Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda. President Xi Jinping and President Rahmon will also jointly witness the launch of major bilateral cooperation projects, sign the "China-Tajikistan Joint Declaration on Further Developing and Deepening the Strategic Partnership", and approve the outlines of cooperation between the two countries for the next five years. In addition, the two sides will sign multiple cooperation documents in the fields of economy and trade, investment, agriculture, justice, education and others.
Cheng Guoping expressed his belief that, with the joint efforts of all parties, President Xi Jinping's visit this time is bound to achieve complete success, making new and important contributions to the promotion of the sound development of the SCO and the comprehensive deepening of the relations between China and Central Asian countries.
Speaking of the state visits to Maldives, Sri Lanka and India, Liu Jianchao pointed out that President Xi Jinping's state visits to Maldives, Sri Lanka and India are another major diplomatic action of China's top leader towards neighboring countries, and is of great and far-reaching significance.
He said that Maldives is China's traditional friendly neighbor. Over the 42 years since the establishment of the diplomatic relationship, China-Maldives exchanges and cooperation in the fields such as economy and trade and tourism have been steadily pushed forward, and the personnel exchanges have expanded rapidly. China has been the biggest tourist source country of Maldives for four years in a row. The two sides have conducted sound coordination and cooperation on issues such as climatic change. President Xi Jinping's visit this time is the first one by the Chinese president since the two countries established the diplomatic relationship, and is of epoch-making significance to China-Maldives relations. During the visit, President Xi Jinping will hold talks with President Abdulla Yameen and meet with Speaker of the Parliament Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed. The two sides will issue a joint press communiqué and sign a series of cooperation agreements.
Liu Jianchao said that over the 57 years since China and Sri Lanka established the diplomatic relationship, China-Sri Lanka relations have always maintained a momentum of healthy and stable development, and have become a model of friendly coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation between big and small countries. The two countries have had frequent high-level mutual visits, and have continuously deepened practical cooperation in economy and trade, investment, and infrastructure as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges. China has become Sri Lanka's second largest trading partner and second largest source of imports. The two countries share mutual understanding and support on the issues related to each other's core interests and major concerns, and keep close coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs. In 2013, China and Sri Lanka upgraded their relationship to a strategic cooperative partnership of sincerity, mutual assistance and everlasting friendship. The bilateral relations are in the best period of history and boast a board prospect of development. During the visit, President Xi Jinping will hold talks with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and meet with Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne and Parliament Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa to charter the course for the future development of the bilateral relations. The two sides will issue political documents and sign a series of cooperation agreements to promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields.
He said that India is an important neighbor of China. In recent years, China-India relations have maintained a momentum of sound development. The bilateral high-level exchanges are frequent, the strategic mutual trust is enhanced increasingly, and the practical cooperation is deepened continuously. China is India's largest trading partner, and India is China's largest trading partner in South Asia. The people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries have become increasingly active. The two sides have jointly held the Year of China-India Friendly Cooperation and the Year of China-India Friendly Exchanges in succession. The two countries have maintained the momentum of negotiation on boundary issues and safeguarded peace and tranquility in the border areas. As two biggest developing countries and emerging market countries in the world, China and India are both committed to developing economy and improving people's livelihood, and both advocate the establishment of a more just and rational new international order. The two countries' development serves as each other's important opportunities. China and India joining hands for peaceful, cooperative and inclusive development will benefit not only the two peoples but also Asia and the world at large. During the visit, President Xi Jinping will meet with President Pranab Mukherjee, hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and meet with other leaders of India. They will make in-depth exchanges of views on the bilateral relations as well as international and regional issues of common concern. President Xi Jinping will deliver a speech in New Delhi on China-India relations and China's policies towards South Asia, and broadly engage with the Indian people from all walks of life.
Liu Jianchao stressed that President Xi Jinping's visit will powerfully promote the development of China's bilateral relations with the above three countries, push forward the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and establish an overall framework for future cooperation between China and South Asia, so as to promote common development and common prosperity.
