Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with visiting Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Beijing on Wednesday. Li said China and Azerbaijan are good friends of sincere mutual trust and good partners pursuing mutual benefit on an equal footing.
He said President Xi Jinping held talks with President Aliyev on Wednesday morning when the two presidents announced the establishment of comprehensive strategic partnership, which opens up a new chapter for the development of bilateral relations.
China is willing to strengthen the alignment of Belt and Road cooperation with Azerbaijan’s development strategy, deepen exchanges and cooperation in connectivity, green energy, digital economy, trade, and culture, said the Chinese premier.
Both sides should maintain close communication and coordination in multilateral affairs and safeguard their common interests, Li said.
Aliyev said Azerbaijan is firmly committed to the one-China principle.
Azerbaijan looks forward to maintaining high-level exchanges with China, expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in economy and trade, transportation, energy, and agriculture, strengthening multilateral communication and coordination, and enriching the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, he said.
Chinese premier meets Azerbaijani president in Beijing
Chinese premier meets Azerbaijani president in Beijing
Chinese premier meets Azerbaijani president in Beijing
U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will extend the two-week ceasefire with Iran that was set to expire on Wednesday night (midnight GMT Tuesday).
"Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The U.S. president said he will "extend the ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other."
The U.S. military will continue the blockade against Iran and "remain ready and able," according to Trump.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X Tuesday that the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports is "an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire" and attacking Iranian merchant ships and detaining their crew members were even more serious violations.
"Iran knows how to neutralize restrictions, how to defend its interests, and how to resist bullying," Araghchi wrote in his post.
Mehdi Mohammadi, an advisor to Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also said the U.S. blockade must be met with a military response, dismissing Trump's ceasefire extension announcement as "meaningless".
"Extending the ceasefire by Trump has no meaning. The losing side cannot dictate terms. Continuing the blockade is no different from bombing and must be met with a military response. Moreover, any extension of the ceasefire by Trump is certainly a way to buy time for a surprise attack. Now is the time for Iran to take the initiative," Mohammadi posted on X.
Trump extends ceasefire; Iran vows military response to naval blockade
