On September 22, 2009, Cape Verde's President Pedro Pires met with visiting Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Zhai Jun in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde.

Assistant Foreign Minister Zhai Jun talks with President Pedro Pires

Pires said Cape Verde and China enjoy a long-standing profound friendship. Over the years, the two countries have maintained sincere friendship and bilateral ties have witnessed steady and harmonious development with fruitful cooperation on economy, trade, education and culture. The two countries have broad common interests and Cape Verde is ready to work with China to continuously deepen pragmatic cooperation and achieve mutual benefit and win-win outcome.

Zhai thanked Pires for being long committed to China-Cape Verde friendship and congratulated the country on successfully moving into the ranks of middle-income countries. Zhai said since the establishment of diplomatic ties 33 years ago, China-Cape Verde relations have always been developing smoothly with both countries remaining good friends and good partners. China attaches importance to ties with Cape Verde and is ready to work with it to push for sustained, sound development of bilateral friendly cooperative relations.

Zhai arrived in Praia on September 21 for a two-day working visit to Cape Verde. Prior to the meeting with President Pires, Zhai held talks with Cape Verde's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Jorge Borges and met with Cape Verde's acting Prime Minister, Minister of State for Infrastructure Manuel Sousa and Minister of Education Vera Duarte. Both sides exchanged views on bilateral ties and issues of common concern.