State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had separate telephone conversations on May 8 with his counterparts in Sudan, Mariam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi, and Suriname, Albert Ramdin, and Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmes.

Al-Mahdi thanked China for its strong support in Sudan's fight against COVID-19, saying Sudan hopes to strengthen strategic coordination with China, continuously expand bilateral cooperation in the economy, culture, education, and sports.

Wang said that China has always viewed and developed its relations with Sudan from a long-term perspective.

The two countries will work together to safeguard each other's legitimate interests as well as those of developing countries, Wang said.

Wang said that China is willing to carry forward traditional friendly ties with Suriname and enhance political mutual trust.

The two countries should strengthen solidarity and cooperation in international and regional affairs, and safeguard multilateralism and the common interests of developing countries, Wang said.

Ramdin stressed that the one-China principle is the cornerstone of Suriname-China relations. And he also extended his gratitude to the Chinese side for its help in fighting COVID-19, and hoped to use the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties as an opportunity for new progress in bilateral relations.

Noting that 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Belgium, Wang said China is ready to jointly implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, and further promote the development of bilateral relations.

As China and Europe have different social systems, historical and cultural backgrounds, the two sides should respect each other, treat each other as equals, and enhance mutual understanding through dialogues, an integral part of comprehensive strategic partnership, he said.

Wilmes said that Belgium attaches great importance to its relations with China, and is willing to further advance bilateral friendship, and Belgium is ready to carry out friendly high-quality dialogues and communication with China, enhance mutual trust, and address differences.