Xi meets Burundi's second vice president

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Burundi's Second Vice-President Joseph Butore after the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) on Sept. 3-4.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Burundi's Second Vice-President Joseph Butore in Beijing on September 6, 2018. [Photo: Xinhua]

China-Burundi relations are at their best in history, Xi said, adding that China actively supports Burundi in exploring a development path suited to its national conditions and is willing to safeguard Burundi's legitimate rights and interests on multilateral occasions including at the United Nations.

China welcomes Burundi to actively participate in the Belt and Road cooperation, and is willing to work with the country to deepen win-win cooperation in fields including infrastructure, energy and agriculture, Xi said.

China is willing to help Burundi increase grain production capacity and will continue to send medical teams to the country, Xi added.

Butore conveyed sincere greetings to President Xi on behalf of President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi and said that Nkurunziza spoke highly of President Xi's speech at the opening ceremony of the FOCAC summit.

Butore said Burundi will work with China to support each other on issues involving their respective core interests and major concerns, as it did in the past and it is doing now.

He said the national development plan of Burundi has many aspects that are in line with the eight major initiatives announced by President Xi, adding that the country is willing to actively participate in the Belt and Road construction and step up cooperation with China in fields including infrastructure, energy and mineral resources, power stations and people's livelihood.