Antigua and Barbuda's prime minister to visit China

BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of Premier Li Qiang of the State Council, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne will pay an official visit to China from Jan. 22 to 28, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Friday.

Mao told a press briefing that China welcomes Prime Minister Browne's visit to China after the previous one in 2014. During the visit, President Xi Jinping will meet with Prime Minister Browne; Premier Li Qiang will hold a welcoming ceremony for him, have talks and attend the signing ceremony of cooperation documents with him; and Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee Zhao Leji will meet with him.

The two sides will have an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest and jointly draw a blueprint for the future of the bilateral relations, Mao said.

Besides Beijing, Browne will also visit Zhejiang and Shanghai, Mao added.

Noting Antigua and Barbuda is an important country in the Caribbean and an important cooperation partner of China in this region, Mao said that over recent years, China and Antigua and Barbuda have achieved steady progress in the bilateral relations and set an example of countries of different sizes respecting each other, carrying out equal-footed and mutually beneficial cooperation and achieving common development.

The just-concluded year of 2023 marked the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. She said that China believes that this visit will further promote political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation in various areas, consolidate the traditional friendship, and bring the bilateral relations to a new level.