Former Brazilian president pledges to promote bilateral ties with China

Dilma Rousseff, president of the New Development Bank (NDB) and former Brazilian president, said she will redouble efforts to promote cooperation and relationship between China and Brazil after she received the Friendship Medal in Beijing on Sunday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping presented the Friendship Medal to Rousseff at a ceremony held to award the highest state honors to 15 distinguished individuals.

The golden and blue Friendship Medals are China's highest state honor for foreigners, reserved for those who have made outstanding contributions to China's modernization drive, promoting exchange and cooperation between China and the world, and safeguarding world peace.

In her speech after receiving the medal, Rousseff expressed her gratitude for the honor and commended China's marked development feat in the past four decades.

"I am deeply honored that the government of the People's Republic of China awarded me the Friendship Medal. This medal confirms the solid ties of friendly cooperation between our two countries and two peoples. I am extremely grateful for the trust and friendship offered by the Chinese government. I would like to express my gratitude to President Xi Jinping and the Chinese people for granting me this honor," she said.

"Over more than 40 years, China has made remarkable development achievements. Accelerated economic transformations, technological innovation and extraordinary social development have enabled China to rise into a world power and become a beacon of hope to bring enlightenment to the world. China's persistence on reform and opening up has not only lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, but also made outstanding contribution to world economic growth and global stability," said Rousseff.

She gave credit to Xi for upholding multilateralism and enhancing global collaboration and said she would work flat out to promote China-Brazil cooperation across the board going forward.

"As the former President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, I have had the privilege of working with many global leaders. I think President Xi Jinping is a true champion in promoting international cooperation and a strong defender of multilateralism. Your leadership is crucial to advancing global governance, addressing global challenges and promoting the formation of a more equitable and more just international order. President Xi Jinping, I am particularly proud that we jointly announced the establishment of the New Development Bank in Brazil in 2014 during the meeting of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa)," said the NDB president.

"After receiving the Friendship Medal, I reiterate that I will continue to make unremitting efforts to strengthen China-Brazil cooperation based on mutual benefits. China and Brazil are friends and partners and share common interests in promoting world peace, stability and prosperity. I will do my best to promote the development of bilateral ties and bolster cooperation between the two countries in the fields of development, trade, investment, education, culture and other fields," she said.

Former Brazilian president pledges to promote bilateral ties with China

Former Brazilian president pledges to promote bilateral ties with China

A formation of China Coast Guard (CCG) Meishan and Xiushan vessels and several Russian coast guard ships has carried out joint law enforcement patrol and emergency handling missions in the high seas of the North Pacific to enhance coordination capabilities and jointly maintain the order of fishery production in the area.

In the exercise of joint damage control and life-saving subject, according to the exercise deployment, the Russian ship suddenly reported a simulated explosion and fire on the rear deck during the cruise, and the CCG Meishan vessel immediately turned and used water cannons to extinguish the fire.

Chinese crew members also took assault boats and boarded Russian ships with firefighting and rescue equipment to put out fire in specific areas and rescue people who fell into the water.

The operation tested the ability to jointly respond to sudden dangerous situations during joint law enforcement patrols, according to CCG official.

"We are patrolling, training and learning all the way. In the future, we have the confidence and ability to complete various tasks, including maintaining the order of fishery production in the high seas of the North Pacific," said Feng Mingming, a CCG officer.

During the joint operation, the fleet boarded and inspected the operating vessels in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and the Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fishery Resources in the North Pacific Ocean, and also conducted joint search and rescue, joint search for illegal vessels and other exercises to further enhance the joint law enforcement capabilities of the Chinese and Russian coast guards.

Chinese, Russian coast guard fleet launches patrol, rescue missions in North Pacific