DJIBOUTI — Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh on Jan 9 spoke highly of Djibouti-China strategic partnership and thanked the Chinese government and people for their assistance to Djibouti's economic and social development.

During his meeting in Djibouti with visiting State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Guelleh said the Djibouti-China relationship has developed in depth and yielded fruitful results in various fields, and Djibouti has friendly feelings towards the Chinese people and regards China as a sincere friend and indispensable partner.

The president said the Horn of Africa nation looks forward to expanding cooperation with China in the fields of blue economy and digital economy.

Noting that the Chinese-built Djibouti-Ethiopia railway has been conducive to promoting regional connectivity and economic integration, and has become a model for Africa-China cooperation, the president added that Djibouti is willing to actively participate in the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and implement the projects related to the eight major initiatives agreed upon during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit held in 2018.

On his part, Wang Yi said the strategic partnership between the two countries has maintained a high level of development, noting that President Guelleh has attached high importance to ties with China given that he visited China three times in the past three years.

Wang said that China and Djibouti always respect each other, support each other, and help each other, which has become a model of mutually beneficial cooperation between large and small countries, adding that China firmly supports Djibouti's development path that suits its national conditions.

"China appreciates Djibouti's active participation in the Belt and Road cooperation and regards Djibouti as a good friend, good partner and good brother," Wang said.

He added that China stands ready to align the construction of the BRI as well as the implementation of outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit with Djibouti's development plan Vision Djibouti 2035, and strengthen cooperation in areas including blue economy, telecommunications, and digital economy.

China is also willing to work with Djibouti to allow projects such as the Djibouti-Ethiopia railway and the Doraleh Multi-Purpose Port to bring about more economic and social impacts, so as to make Djibouti a regional trade and logistics hub through promoting the coordinated development of the Djibouti railway, port, and free trade zone, Wang said.

China will continue to support Djibouti's economic and social development, Wang said.

On Jan 9, Wang also held talks with Djibouti's Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, and they jointly met with the reporters.