Xi extends congratulations to new Iraqi president

BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message on Saturday to Abdul Latif Rashid on his election as the Iraqi president.

Xi pointed out that China and Iraq share a tradition of friendship, and that in recent years, the political mutual trust between the two countries has been increasingly consolidated and practical cooperation in various fields has made steady progress.

Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Iraq relations and stands ready to work with President Rashid to promote new progress in the China-Iraq strategic partnership, so as to benefit the two countries and their people.