China Eyes Eritrea’s Coastal Business, Invites President Isaias For State Visit

<p><em>China Eyes<&sol;em><br &sol;>&NewLine;<strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a><&sol;strong> reports that China has agreed to strengthen its strategic partnerships with Eritrea&period; Eritrea is a northeast African country on the Red Sea coast&period; It shares borders with Ethiopia&comma; Sudan and Djibouti&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;The emerging partnership is contained in a statement made available to OpenLife by Apo Group&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;According to the statement&comma; President Isaias Afwerki on January 5&comma; received at <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;likezoid&period;com&sol;">State House<&sol;a> Chinese senior delegation led by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Minister Wang Yi conveyed a message of President Xi Jinping to President Isaias inviting him to visit China for extensive talks on the bilateral Strategic Partnership&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;President Isaias&comma; on his part&comma; applauded China’s monumental progress in the past 100 years under helm of Communist Party of China to the benefit of Chinese people and the world at large&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;He also paid tribute to China’s significant role in the advent of balanced global order predicated on respect of international law<br &sol;>&NewLine;President Isaias also elaborated on Eritrea’s developmental priorities and its perspectives on regional and international issues of mutual importance&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Likewise&comma; both sides also agreed to work on joint development programs including human resources development&comma; infrastructure&comma; and development of Massawa and Assab ports as well as in the mining sector&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Foreign Minister Wang Yi on his part underlined alignment of views and positions of both countries on major issues and expressed gratitude for Eritrea’s positive stance&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Mr&period; Wang Yi also affirmed China’s rejection of unilateral and illicit sanctions on Eritrea&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;The meeting was attended on the Eritrean side by Mr&period; Osman Saleh&comma; Minister of Foreign Affairs&comma; Presidential Adviser&comma; Mr&period; Yemane Gebreab&comma; and Mr&period; Hagos Gebrehiwet&comma; Head of Economic Affairs of the PFDJ&comma; and on the Chinese side Deputy Minister of Trade&comma; Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs&comma; Director General of Global Cooperation Corporation&comma; as well as Vice Director of African Affairs at the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;