China-Uganda relations elevated to cooperative partnership: Yang Jiechi

Yoweri Museveni said, President Xi Jinping and I jointly elevate Uganda-China relations to the comprehensive cooperative partnership, which lifts bilateral relations to new highs.

On December 18, 2019, local time, Yang Jiechi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, met with President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda at the State House in Entebbe.

Yang Jiechi said, under the personal guidance and promotion of President Xi Jinping and Your Excellency President, China-Uganda relations have been elevated to the comprehensive cooperative partnership, entering the best period in history. The two countries have scored fruitful outcomes from practical cooperation, constantly deepened friendship and mutual trust understood and supported each other on issues concerning respective core interests and major concern, and intensified coordination on international and regional affairs. The Chinese side is willing to, together with the Ugandan side, well implement the importance consensus reached by the two heads of state and the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), deepen cooperation in various fields covering economy, trade, production capacity, industrial parks, and infrastructure, and enhance exchange of experience in state governance and administration to constantly enrich the connotation of China-Uganda relations.

Yoweri Museveni said, President Xi Jinping and I jointly elevate Uganda-China relations to the comprehensive cooperative partnership, which lifts bilateral relations to new highs. At present, the awakened African continent needs to strengthen itself through unity and promote integration, and Uganda needs China's support, experience and market to move toward industrialization and modernization. The Ugandan side is ready to work with the Chinese side to expand practical cooperation in a wide range of areas and push for greater development of Uganda-China relations.

Both sides agreed to advance the further integration between the joint building of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Uganda Vision 2040 to achieve common development and better benefit the two peoples.

Both sides also exchanged views on the current international situation, enhancing South-South cooperation and well managing the 3rd South Summit, and agreed to jointly safeguard multilateralism, propel unity and cooperation among developing countries and safeguard the common interests and development space of developing countries.

On the same day, Yang Jiechi also met with Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa of Uganda.

(With Inputs from APO)