Syrian president vows to deepen bilateral ties with China

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Thursday his country will deepen the relations of mutual benefit and cooperation with China so as to push the bilateral ties to a new height.

Assad made the remarks during a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu in Damascus on Thursday.

The Syrian president appreciated the deepening cooperation between the two countries in various fields, stressing that Syria and China have shared political mutual trust and cooperated in the economic field for a long time.

Assad highlighted that Syria attaches great importance to the Syria-China relations as China is a friend of Syria and the Arab world.

The president also reiterated Syria's firm and consistent position on the one-China policy.

For his part, Hui said as one of the earliest Arab countries which established diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China, Syria and China have enjoyed a sound and stable relationship for more than five decades.

He pointed out that the two countries have broad prospects of cooperation as both of them are developing countries and face the same challenges of developing economy and improving people's livelihood.

The vice premier also voiced China's willingness, along with Syria, to strengthen coordination and expand mutually beneficial cooperation in a bid to deepen bilateral ties.

China suggests that the two countries should maintain contacts of all levels, enhance mutual understanding and friendship, share experience of reform and development to learn from each other, and expand trade, investment and technical cooperation in an effort to bring concrete benefits to both Chinese and Syrian people, he said.

Hui arrived in Damascus on Wednesday afternoon for a three-day official visit to Syria at the invitation of Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah al-Dardari.

Syria and China inked Wednesday an agreement on economic and technical cooperation, in which China offers to grant Syria a financial assistance of 20 million yuan (2.93 million U.S. dollars).