Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday called for joint efforts from China and Papua New Guinea (PNG) to start negotiations on a free trade agreement at an early date and deepen bilateral cooperation in various fields.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with PNG's Minister for Foreign Affairs Justin Tkatchenko on the sidelines of the third China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Xiamen, east China's Fujian Province.
Wang said the China-PNG friendship has withstood the test of time and become an invaluable asset shared by the two peoples.
Under the guidance of successive generations of leaders of the two countries, China and the PNG have become good friends who trust each other, good partners who uphold mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, and good brothers who support each other in international affairs, Wang said.
He extended congratulations on the 50th anniversary of Papua New Guinea's independence this year.
Noting that next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Papua New Guinea, Wang called for efforts from both sides to draw upon the best practices of the development of bilateral ties and jointly chart a new course for another 50 years of relations.
Wang said Papua New Guinea is welcome to attend the signing ceremony of the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation, which is scheduled to take place in Hong Kong on Friday.
China attaches great importance to Papua New Guinea's influence as a major country in the South Pacific and its role as a gateway to Asia, he continued.
China stands ready to work with the PNG and other Pacific island nations to implement the outcomes of the third China-Pacific Island Countries (PICs) Foreign Ministers' Meeting and make greater contributions to regional peace and development, he said.
Tkatchenko, for his part, said developing relations with China is of vital importance to Papua New Guinea.
Papua New Guinea remains firmly committed to the one-China policy and supports China in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said.
Tkatchenko said Papua New Guinea is willing to maintain close communication and coordination with China to advance the joint development of projects under the Belt and Road Initiative and strengthen practical cooperation in agriculture, education, telecommunications and energy, as well as at the subnational levels, among other fields, so as to help his country achieve sustainable development.
Chinese FM calls for early start of negotiations on China-PNG free trade agreement
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Sunday said Cuba is a free, independent and sovereign nation, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump's accusations that the island country provided "security services" to Venezuela in exchange for oil.
Earlier on Sunday, Trump suggested Cuba should make a deal with Washington.
"There will be no more oil or money going to Cuba -- Zero! I strongly suggest they make a deal, before it is too late," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
"Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of oil and money from Venezuela," Trump said.
However, Trump did not specify the terms of a deal or the consequences Cuba could face.
Diaz-Canel said on X that the United States has "no moral authority to point the finger at Cuba in anything", adding that the U.S. side turns everything, even human lives, into a business.
Diaz-Canel said that the United States is "hysterical" against the Caribbean nation because of the sovereign decision of the Cuban people to choose their political model.
"Those who blame the Revolution for the severe economic hardships we suffer should be ashamed and keep quiet," he said. "Because they know and recognize that they are the result of the draconian measures of extreme asphyxiation that the United States has imposed on us for six decades."
Cuba does not attack or threaten other countries, said Diaz-Canel, adding that the country is ready to defend itself "to the last drop of blood".
Also on Sunday, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said the United States behaves like a criminal and unchecked hegemon that threatens peace and security, not only in Cuba and this hemisphere, but throughout the entire world.
In an X post, Rodriguez said Cuba has the absolute right to import fuel from markets willing to export it and develop trade relations without interference or subordination to unilateral coercive measures imposed by the United States.
Venezuela on Sunday reiterated its "historic stance" toward Cuba, reaffirming its unwavering commitment to the principles of "fraternity, solidarity, cooperation and complementarity", despite mounting pressure from Washington to isolate the Caribbean nation.
The Venezuelan government released a statement underscoring its support for the free exercise of self-determination and sovereignty of peoples, which it considers fundamental pillars of international relations.
It emphasized its adherence to the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and international law, highlighting the longstanding and evolving ties between Venezuela and Cuba.
The Venezuelan government stressed that relations between states should be governed by the principles of non-intervention, sovereign equality and self-determination, and that "political and diplomatic dialogue" is the only viable path to "peacefully resolve disputes of any kind".
Cuban president says ready to defend Cuba, refutes Trump's accusations
