The Simandou iron ore mine project in Guinea is a major achievement in China-Guinea cooperation, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a press briefing in Beijing on Monday.
Lin made the remarks when asked to comment on Vice Premier Liu Guozhong's visit to Sierra Leone and Guinea where he will attend the inauguration of the Simandou iron ore mine project as President Xi Jinping's special representative.
"The 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was a complete success, ushering China-Africa relations into a new stage of building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for new era. This year marks the start of implementing the summit's outcomes, and both China and Africa are actively taking actions, with many results already realized in Africa. Both Guinea and Sierra Leone have a traditional friendship with China and are China's comprehensive strategic cooperative partners. Vice Premier Liu Guozhong's visit will further consolidate and develop China's relations with the two countries, renew our traditional friendship, deepen practical cooperation across all fields, and inject strong impetus into the implementation of the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit," Lin said.
"The Simandou iron ore mine project is about to go into production. This is an important outcome of the solidarity and collaboration among China, Guinea, and the relevant parties, to which China extends warm congratulations. We are willing to work hand-in-hand with all parties to help the Guinean people convert their resource advantages into stronger driving force for development and realize win-win cooperation," he said.
Spokesman on Simandou iron ore project in Guinea
Russian officials and scholars say they expect Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to China to bring new progress in ties with China, pointing to the importance of educational exchanges and the close cooperation between the two sides when it comes to global issues.
Putin arrived in Beijing late on Tuesday night to begin a two-day state visit at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
This marks President Putin's 25th visit to China, with the two presidents set to exchange views on bilateral relations, cooperation in various fields, as well as international and regional issues of mutual interest, according to a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The visit comes as this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination, the 25th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation and also sees the launch of events under the China-Russia Years of Education for 2026 and 2027.
Russia’s Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov pointed to the importance of these educational exchanges between the two sides.
"We believe the designation of 2026 and 2027 as the China-Russia Years of Education is a natural progression [in our ties]. We sincerely welcome the continued deepening of such exchanges and cooperation. We also welcome the growing attention from multiples sectors towards education in Russia and China, as this is mutually beneficial and reciprocal," Falkov said in a recent interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN).
In recent years, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era has enjoyed sound, steady and in-depth development, with expanding cooperation in various fields, and the two sides have also made an important contribution to maintaining global strategic stability and upholding international fairness and justice, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Monday.
Vasily Kashin, director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the HSE University in Moscow, expects the meeting between the two heads of state to further address these key issues.
"China and Russia have established a strategic partnership for 30 years. During this period, we have closely coordinated on the international stage and jointly responded to various crises and global political changes. We expect that in their talks, the leaders of the two countries will discuss issues related to the world order," he said.
Russian officials, scholars expect Putin visit to open up new chapter in relations with China
