Bonds with Djibouti taken to new level

President Xi Jinping and Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh announced the elevation of China-Djibouti ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership as they met in Beijing on Monday.

Xi said he highly appreciates the fact that Guelleh has attended all the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summits that have been held, and he hopes to work closely with Guelleh for the success of the 2024 FOCAC Summit.

Emphasizing that this year marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Djibouti, Xi said the two countries have stood together through thick and thin over the past decades.

China will support Djibouti in operating projects such as the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, which connects Ethiopia and Djibouti, and the Djibouti International Free Trade Zone to help turn Djibouti into a regional commercial, trade and logistics hub, he said.

Xi also said that China will work with Djibouti in running the country's Luban Workshop, which was launched in 2019 and was the first in Africa, to provide more high-quality talent to meet the needs of Djibouti's economic development.

China supports Djibouti in making new contributions to peace and development in the Horn of Africa and Africa as a whole, Xi said.

Guelleh said that Djibouti is satisfied with the vitality of the bilateral ties and hopes to work with China to continue to advance the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway and other important projects.

He also said that Djibouti hopes to strengthen communication and collaboration with China to promote regional security and development.

Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, also met with Guelleh in Beijing on Monday.