Botswana president's visit to China to elevate bilateral ties to new height: spokeswoman

President of Botswana Duma Gideon Boko’s upcoming visit to China will elevate their bilateral relations to a new height, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press conference on Friday.

The spokeswoman announced at the press conference that at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Boko will pay a state visit to China from Oct. 12 to 17.

"The upcoming visit will mark President Boko's first visit to China since assuming office. During the visit, President Xi will host a welcoming ceremony and a banquet for President Boko, and the two heads of state will hold talks. Premier Li Qiang and Chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee Zhao Leji will meet with him respectively. President Boko will also visit Fujian Province," said Mao.

"China and Botswana are strategic partners. Over the 51 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have upheld sincere friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation. We support each other on major issues concerning respective core interests, assist each other in times of disaster and epidemic, join hands on the journey toward modernization, and firmly stand on the right side of history on international affairs. We are confident that the upcoming visit will elevate China-Botswana relations to a new height and further contribute to building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era," said the spokeswoman.

Botswana president's visit to China to elevate bilateral ties to new height: spokeswoman

Iran's nuclear chief vowed on Sunday that the country will not give up the nuclear technology it has mastered under foreign pressures, and that no law allows any foreign country to deprive the Islamic Republic of that technology, the Iranian official news agency IRNA reported.

Mohammad Eslami, director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, was speaking at an international conference "Ecocide: The Silent War Crime" held in Tehran, the report said.

Eslami criticized the United States for applying double standards on nuclear technology, questioning why Washington prioritizes expanding its own nuclear capabilities while seeking to deny Iran access to the technology, IRNA said.

He added that Iran would "continue pursuing its plan to generate 20,000 megawatts of nuclear electricity, despite wartime pressures," according to the report.

He also claimed that Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant ranks among the world's top 10 in terms of safety and efficiency.

The comments came after U.S. Vice President JD Vance said in an interview on Oct 5 that Iran must "substantially" reduce its uranium enrichment capacity to meet Washington's demands and bring an end to the conflict.

In response, Eslami said U.S. threats are "nothing new."

Iran vows not to abandon nuclear technology under foreign pressures