Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, May 26, 2023. Xi held talks with Tshisekedi, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Friday. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING -- The presidents of China and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) announced on Friday the elevation of the bilateral relationship from a strategic partnership of win-win cooperation to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

China and the DRC are strategic partners with a profound traditional friendship forged in the course of fighting for national liberation and opposing colonial aggression, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his talks with visiting DRC President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo in Beijing.

Bilateral cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful results in recent years, and China has been the DRC's largest trading partner and source of foreign investment for many years in a row, Xi said.

The two sides have forged a close community of shared interests and shared future, Xi said.

Xi said China's successful experience in its path to modernization shows that developing countries have the right and the ability to explore modernization paths suited to their national conditions, adding that China is ready to synergize its development strategies with the DRC, support each other and promote cooperation and development.

He expressed the belief that China's high-quality development will provide more cooperation opportunities and a broader market for the DRC and promote greater development of bilateral relations.

China will, as always, help the DRC in its economic and social development, support its industrialization strategy, strengthen cooperation in energy, mining, agriculture, infrastructure, and manufacturing, and tap the potential of cooperation in the digital economy, education, and health, Xi said, adding that China is ready to send agricultural technology experts to the DRC.

China hopes that the DRC will provide policy support and service convenience for Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in the DRC and foster a fair, just, and safe business environment, he said.

Xi said China is ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with the DRC in multilateral affairs, jointly practice true multilateralism, and uphold international fairness and justice.

Noting that China and Africa have always been a community with a shared future, Xi said the two sides need to strengthen solidarity and cooperation more than ever under the current international situation.

He called on the two sides to uphold the basic norms governing international relations, oppose all forms of hegemonism and power politics, oppose interference in other countries' internal affairs, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries.

China firmly supports Africa in pursuing an independent development path and becoming an important pole in the world politics, economy and civilization, Xi said, adding that China is ready to provide new opportunities for African countries with its new development.

China will work with Africa to implement the outcomes of the Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Dakar, advance Belt and Road cooperation, support Africa in achieving sustainable development, and build a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era, Xi said.

Tshisekedi congratulated China on the success of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the "two sessions," and Xi's reelection as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and the Chinese president, as well as China's extraordinary achievements in the new era under President Xi's leadership.

He said he is convinced that China is sure to realize its Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects.

Tshisekedi thanked China for its important assistance and valuable support for the economic and social development of the DRC over the past half century.

The DRC firmly adheres to the one-China policy and supports China's efforts to achieve national reunification, he said.

The DRC is willing to work with China to deepen cooperation in economy, trade, resources, infrastructure, medical care and other fields to enrich the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and build a mature, stable and groundbreaking relationship for the benefit of the two peoples, Tshisekedi said.

After the talks, the two presidents witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents in investment, green economy, digital economy, and other fields.

Prior to the talks, Xi held a welcome ceremony for Tshisekedi at the square outside the Great Hall of the People.

In the evening, President Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan held a banquet for President Tshisekedi and his wife Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi at the Great Hall of the People.