Surinamese president to visit China

BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, President of the Republic of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi will pay a state visit to China from April 11 to 17, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Monday.

At a daily news briefing, Mao Ning, another spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, said this year marks the fifth anniversary of the establishment of a strategic cooperative partnership between China and Suriname, and China welcomes President Santokhi's visit to China at this special moment.

During the visit, President Xi will hold a welcome ceremony for President Santokhi, and the two heads of state will hold talks and jointly attend the signing ceremony of relevant cooperation documents, Mao said.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang and top political advisor Wang Huning will meet with President Santokhi respectively, and they will have an in-depth exchange of views on China-Suriname relations and issues of common concern, Mao said.

Noting that Suriname is an important country in the Caribbean and a strategic cooperative partner of China in the region, Mao said China-Suriname relations have enjoyed sound development with fruitful cooperation in various areas since the establishment of diplomatic ties.

China attaches great importance to its relations with Suriname and is willing to work with Suriname to continuously enhance political mutual trust, and expand friendly exchanges and practical cooperation in various fields to benefit the two countries and peoples, Mao said.

It is believed that this visit will further promote China-Suriname relations to achieve new development and reach a new level, Mao added.