BEIJING, May 25 (Xinhua) — China and Oman on Friday issued a joint statement on the establishment of strategic partnership between the two countries.
In the document, the two sides agreed that since the establishment of their diplomatic ties on May 25, 1978, political mutual trust and traditional friendship have continued to increase and cooperation in the areas of energy, economy and trade, connectivity and culture has yielded fruitful results. The two sides have broad prospects for cooperation.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Oman’s Sultan Qaboos Bin Said spoke highly of the rapid development of bilateral relations.
Based on the demands of developing China-Oman relations and the common will to enhance the level of their ties, the two heads of state decided to establish a strategic partnership between the two countries.
This is in the common interest of the two countries and their people and is conducive to the common development and prosperity of the two countries, said the statement.
Under this framework, both countries are willing to focus on the following cooperation:
The two sides agree to strengthen exchanges and consultations between leaders of both countries, maintain regular communication and coordination on bilateral relations as well as international and regional issues of common concern, continuously expand consensus, and consolidate and deepen mutual political trust.
The two countries support each other on issues concerning national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and emphasize the principle of non-interference in internal affairs.
Oman reaffirms its firm adherence to the one-China principle and recognizes that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, said the statement.
Oman supports the Chinese government’s position on issues concerning Taiwan, Xinjiang, Tibet and the South China Sea, while China supports Oman’s efforts in safeguarding sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and national security and stability.
Oman welcomes and supports the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and is willing to actively participate in projects under this framework. It will continue to support and participate in the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, said the statement.
China appreciates Oman’s active participation in the Belt and Road construction and welcomes Oman to become a partner under the initiative.
The two sides are willing to further strengthen policy communication, enhance alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative and Oman’s “Ninth Five-Year Plan” and actively implement the cooperative documents on the Belt and Road construction.
The two countries believe that the cooperation on production capacity and investment is an important part of the pragmatic cooperation between the two countries.
The two sides will synergize their development strategies and focus on cooperation in such areas as exploitation of energy resources, chemical industry, manufacturing and marine industries.
The two sides agree to make full use of the mechanism of the China-Oman Joint Committee of Economics and Trade, expand mutually beneficial cooperation in infrastructure construction, industrial parks, railways, ports, power stations and logistics, and promote the all-round development of bilateral economic and trade relations.
The two sides believe that energy cooperation is an important pillar of pragmatic cooperation and support further cooperation in such fields as crude oil trading, exploration and development of oil and gas resources, service engineering and refining and chemical industry. They agree to strengthen cooperation in new energy and renewable energy, the statement said.
The two sides are willing to promote financial cooperation. They support the discussion on the possibility of developing monetary cooperation and playing the role of own currency in bilateral trade and investment.
They encourage financial institutions of the two sides to provide financial support for bilateral trade and investment cooperation.
The two sides will carry out cultural exchanges in various forms to increase understanding and friendship between the two peoples, according to the statement.
China will provide more opportunities for Oman students to study in China and support Chinese language teaching in Oman. Both parties are willing to actively study the establishment of a Chinese cultural center in Oman.
The two sides are willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the areas of law enforcement security and anti-terrorism, strengthen intelligence and information exchanges and carry out technical cooperation and personnel training.
The two countries are willing to work together to promote the establishment of a free trade zone of the China-Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC) as soon as possible, strengthen communication and coordination under the framework of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum, in order to promote the collective cooperation between China and the GCC and the Arab countries.
China and Oman share broad common interests in many major regional and international issues and will enhance cooperation and coordination in the United Nations and other international organizations, said the statement.
The two sides emphasize that the reform of the UN Security Council needs the consensus of all member states to advance in a balanced manner, reach the broadest consensus and seek a “package solution.”
The two sides support the peaceful resolution to regional hotspot issues through dialogue and political negotiation, said the statement.
Oman appreciates the fair position and important role played by China in regional affairs, while China supports Oman in playing a greater role in regional affairs, it said.
