Belt and Road a springboard, premier says

China and Mauritania should use the signing of the bilateral plan for the joint construction of the Belt and Road as a springboard for expanding cooperation over sectors including agriculture, fisheries and energy, Premier Li Qiang said on Sunday.

In talks with visiting Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani in Beijing, Li called upon both nations to strengthen cooperation over health, education and people-to-people exchanges and bring the bilateral friendship and cooperation to a new level.

Beijing will continue to do its best to support Mauritania in its efforts to seek growth and rejuvenation, he said.

Ghazouani met with President Xi Jinping and attended the opening ceremony of the 31st summer edition of the FISU World University Games in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, on Friday.

He expressed "wholehearted endorsement" of the China-proposed Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative and said his country firmly adheres to the one-China principle.

Mauritania looks forward to deepening cooperation with China over various sectors and promoting the further development of bilateral ties, he said.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, China is Mauritania's largest trading partner. Trade between the two countries reached $2.13 billion in 2022.

Guyana relations

Meanwhile, Premier Li Qiang underlined on Sunday Beijing's readiness to work with Guyana to use the joint building of the Belt and Road as an opportunity to scale up cooperation on economy, trade, agriculture, energy and green development.

While meeting with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali in Beijing, Li stressed the need for the two nations to jointly respond to global challenges and promote the building of a China-Guyana community with a shared future.

President Ali also met with President Xi and attended the opening ceremony of the World University Games in Chengdu on Friday.

He lauded China as Guyana's strategic partner and expressed appreciation to Li for the nation's aid in the Caribbean nation's economic and social development.

Guyana is willing to further strengthen cooperation with China in areas such as agriculture and energy, enhance people-to-people exchanges, and achieve common development and progress, he said.

Guyana commends China's significant role in international affairs and is willing to work with China to address global challenges such as climate change, Ali added.

Trade between China and Guyana expanded by 164.9 percent to $1.88 billion last year, according to China's Foreign Ministry.