Xi says China ready to develop comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in new era with Tajikistan

China stands ready to develop the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new era with Tajikistan, said Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.

Xi made the remarks during his talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, expressing his delight to once again meet his old friend President Rahmon.

During the talks, Xi pointed out that China and Tajikistan are connected by mountains and rivers, are interdependent, and share a common destiny. The relationship between the two countries has deep historical roots, a solid political foundation, rich content of cooperation, and broad popular support.

With the joint efforts of both sides, China and Tajikistan have continuously deepened their political mutual trust, yielded fruitful results in Belt and Road cooperation, and progressed a series of major projects smoothly, strongly promoting the common development of both countries, said the Chinese president.

Xi noted that during Rahmon's state visit to China last year, the two leaders decided to commit to building a China-Tajikistan community with a shared future featuring everlasting friendship, solidarity and mutual benefit, adding that under the new circumstances, China is ready to develop a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with Tajikistan in the new era and build a China-Tajikistan community with a shared future from a higher starting point, so as to contribute to the development and revitalization of the two countries.

Xi also said the grand welcome ceremony he received upon arriving on Thursday evening fully demonstrates the warm friendship of the Tajik government and people towards China.

The Chinese side is happy for Tajikistan's achievements in national development, Xi said, adding that China will continue to unswervingly promote friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation with Tajikistan, firmly support Tajikistan's development path suited to its national conditions, firmly support Tajikistan's efforts to safeguard national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and firmly oppose any external interference in Tajikistan's internal affairs under any pretext.

China will always be a trustworthy friend, reliable partner and close brother to Tajikistan, Xi said.

Xi also introduced China's progress in developing new quality productive forces, promoting high-quality development and advancing Chinese modernization, saying that China is willing to exchange and share development experience and opportunities with Tajikistan, advance the alignment of the two countries' development strategies, jointly promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, upgrade the quality and scale of economic and trade cooperation, optimize connectivity cooperation, deepen agricultural cooperation, expand cooperation in key mineral resources, and expand cooperation in fields such as new energy, the digital economy, artificial intelligence, and e-commerce, so as to support Tajikistan in developing a modern industrial system.

The two countries should strengthen law enforcement and security cooperation to effectively fight the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, and expand people-to-people and cultural cooperation in fields such as youth exchanges, media, think tanks, women affairs and tourism, said Xi.

The China-Central Asia mechanism is a joint innovation of the six participating countries, Xi stressed, adding that China is ready to work with Tajikistan and other relevant parties to continuously strengthen and optimize the mechanism and push for more tangible results in China-Central Asia cooperation.

China and Tajikistan, as developing countries, should work together with other countries in the Global South to strengthen solidarity and coordination, practice true multilateralism, advocate an equal and orderly multi-polar world and economic globalization that benefits all, and jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi said.

For his part, Rahmon hailed the significance of Xi's visit, saying that China and Tajikistan, as friendly neighbors and loyal friends, have seen good development of bilateral ties, positive results from cooperation in various fields, and witnessed high-level exchanges and coordination in multilateral institutions in recent years.

The relationship between Tajikistan and China is a model of state-to-state relations, the Tajik president said.

China's great development achievements have not only benefited the Chinese people, but have also made important contributions to regional and world peace and development, Rahmon said, adding that to strengthen the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new era with China is a prioritized policy direction of his country.

Tajikistan firmly adheres to the one-China principle, opposes any form of "Taiwan independence" and firmly supports China's efforts to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity and to realize national reunification, said Rahmon.

The Tajik side will further promote Belt and Road cooperation, deepen cooperation in key areas such as connectivity, agriculture, key minerals, and new energy, and will strengthen cooperation in law enforcement and security with China, he added.

In the face of a volatile international and regional situation, Tajikistan firmly supports and is ready to actively implement the series of global initiatives put forward by President Xi, to closely coordinate and cooperate with China within the SCO, the China-Central Asia mechanism, the United Nations and other multilateral frameworks, in order to firmly support each other, practice true multilateralism, and work together to safeguard international fairness and justice, as well as the common interests of developing countries, said Rahmon.

He added that the Tajik side believes Xi's visit will surely push the Tajikistan-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new era to a higher level and bring more benefits to people of the two countries.

After the talks, Xi and Rahmon signed a joint statement on the elevation of bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new era, and witnessed the exchange of cooperation documents in various fields. Xi also attended a welcome banquet hosted by Rahmon on Friday evening.

Xi says China ready to develop comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in new era with Tajikistan

Xi says China ready to develop comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in new era with Tajikistan

Xi says China ready to develop comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in new era with Tajikistan

Xi says China ready to develop comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in new era with Tajikistan

Xi says China ready to develop comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in new era with Tajikistan

Lebanon's Hezbollah said on Thursday that the group is willing to consider a ceasefire proposal if it includes guarantees for a truce in the war-torn Gaza Strip.

A member of Lebanese parliament from the Hezbollah coalition made the statement at a news conference in Beirut.

He criticized Israel's strike on a Beirut health care facility that killed at least five people, and warned the international community against Israel's continuous violations of international law.

"The world is facing a challenge. Can they find one humanitarian or international law that Israel hasn't violated? All U.N. charters, U.N. Security Council resolutions, Israel has violated them. Isn't it enough that it tore the U.N. Charter? Isn't it enough that it declared the [U.N.] secretary general an undesirable person, a Persona Non Grata" said Ibrahim Al Moussawi, an Hezbollah official and member of the Lebanese parliament.

The group also vowed to continue their fight until it sees a realistic proposal for a ceasefire.

"The decision for a ceasefire is left to those in the battlefield. We consult with those in the field, and we who deal with politics when we receive an offer that is realistic and would also achieve a ceasefire in Gaza as well. Only then we can consider making a deal," said Ibrahim.

The Israel Defense Forces have been carrying out an unprecedented, intensive air attack on Lebanon, dubbed "Arrows of the North", since Sept. 23, after nearly a year of low-intensity cross-border exchanges of fire with Hezbollah. And in another sign of escalation, the country has launched a ground incursion into Lebanon since early Tuesday.

The Israeli air and ground raids have since killed 1,974 people, including 127 children, wounded 9,350 others, and forced more than 1.2 million civilians to flee their homes, according to the Lebanese health minister.

Hezbollah willing to consider ceasefire proposal if it includes guarantees for truce in Gaza: official