BEIJING — China is ready to work with Senegal to step up mutual support on issues concerning their respective core interests, said State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on May 20.

In his telephone conversation with Senegal's Foreign Minister Aissata Tall Sall, Wang said China and Senegal are important partners and co-chairs of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

Under the guidance of the two heads of state, bilateral cooperation is running at a high level and has seen rich fruits, said Wang, adding that China always views and develops bilateral ties from a strategic perspective, firmly supports the efforts of Senegalese President Macky Sall and the Senegalese government to maintain stability and promote development.

Wang said that in the face of the pandemic, China and Senegal have weathered the difficulties together, adding that Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Sall jointly proposed last June the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity Against COVID-19, which has effectively promoted anti-pandemic cooperation between the two sides and around the world.

The Chinese side, an important trade, investment and financing partner of Senegal, has made great efforts to overcome the impact of the epidemic, said Wang, adding that Chinese-funded enterprises in Senegal have completed a series of projects that are helpful for the African country to improve its national economy and people's livelihood.

China, said Wang, will make joint efforts with Senegal to overcome the challenge of the pandemic, support the acceleration of industrialization in Senegal, improve its independent development capability, and continue to provide assistance to the country's fight against the outbreak.

Wang said that China and Africa jointly launched the Initiative on Partnership for Africa's Development at the UN Security Council High-level Meeting on Peace and Security in Africa: "Addressing root causes of conflict while promoting post-pandemic recovery in Africa" on May 19, which has achieved good results.

China is ready to join hands with African countries including Senegal to encourage more countries to join the initiative, strengthen the call for the international community to jointly support Africa's development, and come up with concrete measures to implement the initiative during the FOCAC gathering in Dakar, said Wang.

He added that China fully supports Senegal in hosting a successful new session of the FOCAC so as to maintain the sound momentum of China-Africa solidarity and cooperation.

Aissata thanked China for its strong support to the African continent and Senegal in fighting the pandemic, saying that a series of measures and suggestions put forward by China during the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit On Solidarity Against COVID-19 held in June last year have benefited Africa a lot.

Noting that President Sall will assume the rotating presidency of the African Union next year, Aissata said Senegal supports and is ready to work with China to implement the Initiative on Partnership for Africa's Development.

As the co-chair of the FOCAC, Senegal attaches great importance to the coming FOCAC meeting and is willing to work closely with China to make full preparations and push for greater development of Africa-China relations, she added.