Han Zheng meets with Brunei Sultan Hassanal
On October 22, National Vice Chairman Han Zheng met with Sultan Hassanal of Brunei in Bandar Seri Begawan.
During the meeting, Han conveyed warm greetings and best wishes from President Xi Jinping to Sultan Hassanal. He remarked that under the strategic guidance of both leaders, Sino-Bruneian relations have shown strong development momentum. He referenced the meeting between President Xi and Sultan Hassanal last November in San Francisco, which provided strategic direction for the future of bilateral relations. Han expressed China’s commitment to work closely with Brunei to implement the important consensus reached by their leaders, enhance strategic communication, deepen practical cooperation, and elevate the bilateral relationship to new heights.
Han further expressed appreciation for Brunei’s steadfast adherence to the one-China principle. He affirmed China’s readiness to maintain close high-level exchanges and firmly support each other on issues related to their core interests and significant concerns. The two sides discussed the need for high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, aiming to upgrade collaboration in trade, investment, energy, and agriculture. Han also emphasized the importance of East Asian cooperation, supporting ASEAN’s central role, and expressed China’s willingness to foster a closer China-ASEAN community of shared future to inject greater positive energy into regional peace, stability, and prosperity. He reiterated China’s desire to work with ASEAN countries, including Brunei, to advance maritime cooperation and discussions on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, aiming to transform the area into a sea of peace, friendship, and cooperation.
In response, Sultan Hassanal asked Han to convey his sincere greetings and best wishes to President Xi. The Sultan acknowledged the significant impact of Xi’s initiatives, including the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilizational Initiative, and the concept of building a community of shared future for mankind, stating that Brunei has greatly benefited from these ideas. He noted the close exchanges and extensive cooperation between the two countries, which have effectively enhanced mutual friendship and understanding. The Sultan reaffirmed Brunei’s commitment to the one-China principle and expressed a desire to strengthen their strategic partnership, looking forward to deepening collaboration in trade, energy, food security, culture, education, and sports to promote the diversification of Brunei’s economy. He also highlighted the importance of ASEAN-China cooperation, advocating for a robust environmental protection mechanism to jointly address climate change. Furthermore, Sultan Hassanal emphasized the importance of dialogue and negotiation in resolving differences, expressing a willingness to work with China and ASEAN countries to maintain peace and stability in the region.
