Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with visiting Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah in Beijing on Thursday.
Noting that China and Brunei are friendly neighbors facing each other across the sea, Li said that China is ready to work with Brunei to implement the consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries, maintain high-level exchanges, consolidate political mutual trust, and deepen pragmatic cooperation, Li said.
The Chinese premier also said that China firmly supports ASEAN in strengthening unity and strategic independence, and is willing to work with Brunei and other ASEAN countries to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
Hassanal said that Brunei values its relations with China and will stay committed to the one-China policy.
Brunei is willing to work with China to expand cooperation in such areas as economy, trade and agriculture, strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, enhance cooperation within the framework of ASEAN-China relations, and promote regional peace, stability and prosperity, said Hassanal.
Chinese premier meets with Brunei's Sultan in Beijing
Chinese premier meets with Brunei's Sultan in Beijing
Chinese premier meets with Brunei's Sultan in Beijing
A wildfire that engulfed part of a forest in Shantou City of south China's Guangdong Province on Sunday has been extinguished after 17 hours of concerted efforts by multiple departments including emergency response, firefighting and public security units.
Villagers living at the foot of Xianglu Mountain were the first to notice the fire erupting on its slopes.
"It looked far away and I thought it was just someone burning garbage," recalled one villager.
Upon discovering the fire, local authorities immediately organized personnel to combat the flames, with mobilization of over 200 rescuers from surrounding areas to assist in the firefighting efforts.
"We were divided into two to three groups, with one conducting regular firefighting and another using water pumps to extinguish the fire," said one rescuer.
Given the rapid spread of the fire, local officials also called in aerial support with helicopters to aid in extinguishing the blaze. Furthermore, many personnel organized by local grassroots departments were actively involved in the firefighting efforts.
By 06:00 on Monday, the wildfire was finally extinguished without causing any casualties. The dry climate in winter increases the risk of forest fire in the region. However, the cause of the forest fire is still under investigation.
Wildfire extinguished in south China's Guangdong after 17 hours of efforts
