China eyes stronger relations with Comoros: FM

DOHA - China is willing to work with Comoros in a number of fields, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Wednesday when meeting his Comoran counterpart, Abdoulkarim Mohamed.

Wang hailed the development of bilateral relations between China and Comoros, an island country in the Western Indian Ocean, since the two countries forged diplomatic relations in 1975.

Both ministers were in the Qatari capital for the 7th Ministerial Meeting of China-Arab Cooperation Forum, scheduled to open Thursday.

Wang said China stands ready to work with Comoros to implement the consensus reached by Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Comoran counterpart, Ikililou Dhoinine, at their meeting last December in Johannesburg during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to cooperate in infrastructure, health, energy, the marine economy and fisheries.

Mohamed, for his part, thanked China for its sincere assistance to Comoros.

Comoros, he said, is the first African country to adopt Chinese digital television standards and that China-developed artemisinin, a traditional Chinese medicine-based drug, has played an important role in eradicating malaria in the country.

He said Comoros will continue to steadfastly support China on issues concerning its sovereignty.