On October 21-23, Vice Premier Han Zheng visited Brunei at the invitation of the Bruneian government. During his stay in Bandar Seri Begawan, he held meetings with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah.
In his meeting with Sultan Hassanal, Han conveyed warm greetings and best wishes from President Xi Jinping. He emphasized that under the strategic guidance of both leaders, China-Brunei relations have maintained a positive trajectory. The strategic direction provided during President Xi’s meeting with the Sultan in San Francisco last November has paved the way for further development between the two nations. Han expressed China’s willingness to work closely with Brunei to implement the important consensus reached by their leaders, enhance strategic communication, deepen practical cooperation, and elevate bilateral relations to new heights.
Han also expressed appreciation for Brunei’s steadfast adherence to the one-China principle and expressed a desire for closer high-level exchanges, emphasizing mutual support on core interests and significant concerns. He proposed collaborative efforts in high-quality Belt and Road initiatives and aimed to upgrade cooperation in trade, investment, energy, agriculture, and other areas. Han highlighted China’s commitment to East Asian cooperation, support for ASEAN’s central role in regional collaboration, and the intention to build a closer China-ASEAN community of shared destiny, contributing positively to regional peace, stability, and development. He underscored the importance of advancing maritime cooperation and discussions on the South China Sea Code of Conduct to promote peace, friendship, and collaboration in the region.
In response, Sultan Hassanal expressed his sincere greetings and best wishes to President Xi. The Sultan noted that Xi’s significant concepts such as building a community with a shared future for mankind and global development and security initiatives have had a profound impact, benefiting Brunei greatly. He acknowledged the close high-level exchanges and broad cooperation between the two countries, which have strengthened mutual friendship and understanding. Brunei remains committed to the one-China principle and is eager to enhance the strategic partnership, looking forward to deepening cooperation in various sectors such as trade, energy, food security, culture, education, and sports, thereby promoting economic diversification. The Sultan also expressed a strong commitment to ASEAN-China cooperation and the desire to continuously improve cooperation mechanisms while jointly tackling global challenges like climate change. He advocated for resolving differences through dialogue and collaboration with China and ASEAN states to maintain peace and stability in the region.
During his meeting with Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, Han noted the long-standing friendship between China and Brunei, separated only by the sea. He pointed out that over three decades of diplomatic relations have set an exemplary standard of mutual respect, harmonious coexistence, and win-win cooperation among nations, regardless of size. He encouraged both sides to use the leaders’ important consensus as a guide to strengthen strategic alignment and work towards building a community with a shared future for both nations.
Han highlighted that this year marks the 40th anniversary of Brunei’s independence. He reiterated China’s support for Brunei to pursue a development path suited to its national conditions, seeking to enhance high-level exchanges and discover more areas of mutual interest and growth opportunities. Together, the two countries can advance their modernization processes and elevate China-Brunei relations to new levels, thus bringing greater benefits to their people.
Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah acknowledged China’s remarkable achievements during its reform and opening up, which have transformed its economic and social landscape. He emphasized Brunei’s high regard for its relationship with China and expressed unwavering confidence in China’s development prospects. He expressed interest in enhancing exchanges and cooperation in areas such as trade, agriculture, energy, tourism, and culture to foster further growth in bilateral relations.
During his visit, Han Zheng also inspected Muara Port and received briefings on the China-Brunei Belt and Road cooperation projects.
