Chinese, Namibian leaders exchange congratulations on 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Namibian President Hage Geingob at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 2, 2018. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Namibia relations, and stands ready to work with Geingob to take the 30th anniversary as a new starting point and seize the historic opportunities created by the joint construction of the Belt and Road and the flourishing development of China-Africa cooperation.

BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages on Sunday with his Namibian counterpart, Hage Geingob, on the 30th anniversary of their countries' diplomatic relations.

In his message, Xi said that since the establishment of China-Namibia diplomatic relations 30 years ago, the two sides have always stood together through thick and thin, and moved forward hand in hand no matter how the international situation changed.

Noting that he has met with Geingob on several occasions in recent years, Xi said that they have reached important consensus on establishing and developing the China-Namibia comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation, led bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields to new levels, and enhanced the well-being of both peoples.

He suggested that the two sides consolidate political mutual trust, and deepen practical cooperation, so as to inject new vitality into the development of China-Namibia relations in the new era, and contribute to the building of a closer China-Africa community with a shared future.

Containers are seen on a vessel at the new container terminal in Walvis Bay, Namibia, Aug. 2, 2019. The new container terminal located in the port town of Walvis Bay was constructed on 40 hectares of land reclaimed from the sea by China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC) under just five years. (Xinhua/Zhang Yu)

For his part, Geingob said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Namibia and China have always upheld unity and win-win cooperation, and their all-weather friendship has stood the test of changing times and global challenges.

Standing at a new historical juncture, Namibia is willing to deepen practical cooperation with China, so as to inject new vitality into bilateral relations and build a peaceful, prosperous and stable community with a shared future, he said.

The Namibian government and people appreciate China's heroic efforts to effectively control the COVID-19 epidemic, and stand ready to continue to work with China in the fight against the global spread of the disease, he said.

Geingob said he is confident that under the strong leadership of Xi, China will grow more thriving and prosperous.