Chinese President Xi Jinping and Sao Tome and Principe's Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada announced the elevation of their bilateral relations to a strategic partnership on Thursday during their meeting in Beijing on Thursday.
Trovoada is in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) that runs from Wednesday to Friday, and an official visit.
Xi noted in the meeting that the China-Sao Tome and Principe relations have maintained a good momentum of growth with fruitful practical cooperation in various sectors in recent years.
Facts have proved that Sao Tome and Principe's return to the China-Africa big family of friendly cooperation is fully in line with the common interests of the people of the two countries, he said.
China will, as always, support Sao Tome and Principe in its efforts to push forward national development and economic progress, Xi said, adding that China stands ready to work with Sao Tome and Principe to actively implement the outcomes of the FOCAC summit, and promote the strategic partnership between the two countries to better benefit their people.
Xi called on the two sides to grasp the general direction of friendship, increase exchanges of governance experience, consolidate and enhance strategic mutual trust, and firmly support each other on issues involving their respective core interests and major concerns.
The two sides should explore cooperation in tourism, agriculture, fisheries, infrastructure and other fields, so that Sao Tome and Principe could benefit more from the outcomes of the summit, he said.
China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with Sao Tome and Principe on international and regional issues, to safeguard the common interests of the two countries and developing countries, Xi said.
Trovoada thanked China for its invaluable help for Sao Tome and Principe's economic development, especially the new measures that President Xi announced at the opening ceremony of the summit on Thursday morning which will greatly boost the development of Sao Tome and Principe and Africa.
Sao Tome and Principe highly appreciates the major visions and initiatives that President Xi has proposed, such as the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, he said.
Noting that Sao Tome and Principe is firmly committed to the one-China principle, Trovoada expressed the hope that the political mutual trust between the two countries could be further consolidated with their partnership now much closer, so as to provide a strong guarantee for the realization of long-term economic development in Sao Tome and Principe.
The two sides issued the Joint Statement of the People's Republic of China and Sao Tome and Principe on Establishing a Strategic Partnership.