On the afternoon of July 6, 2016, Premier Li Keqiang met at the Great Hall of the People with President Denis Sassou-Nguesso of the Republic of Congo, who was paying a state visit to China.

Li Keqiang expressed that both countries always enjoy sincere and long-standing friendship as well as equal treatment. Yesterday, President Xi Jinping held fruitful talks with you and bilateral relations have been upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation. China appreciates President Denis Sassou-Nguesso for choosing China as the destination of his first overseas visit after his reappointment. We are willing to, together with the Republic of Congo, continuously consolidate and give play to the two advantages of political mutual trust and economic complementarities, and comprehensively deepen friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields so as to elevate cooperation between the two countries as well as between China and Africa to another new level and better benefit the two peoples.

Li Keqiang pointed out that China has full confidence in the prospects of bilateral cooperation and China-Africa cooperation. China is willing to, in accordance with conditions and needs of the Republic of Congo, enhance bilateral industrial docking and production capacity cooperation, speed up the process of industrialization and agricultural modernization of the Republic of Congo, constantly innovate cooperation models of investment and financing, steadily advance infrastructure construction and deepen cooperation in agriculture and fishery industry. China stands ready to share experience in special economic zone construction and development with the Republic of Congo, cultivate talents required by the independent and sustainable development of the country, make joint efforts to forge logistic and manufacturing centers for the region and play a demonstration and guiding role.

Denis Sassou-Nguesso offered condolences over the flood striking some regions in southern China, and he spoke highly of the efforts made by the Chinese government to fight the flood and provide disaster relief. He expressed that China is an indispensable cooperative partner of the Republic of Congo. The friendly cooperation between the two countries enjoys a sound development, and both countries support each other in international affairs. His visit to China this time has yielded positive outcomes. The Republic of Congo is willing to take the upgrade of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation as an opportunity to implement the consensus reached in this visit. The Republic of Congo welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest in the country and will push for greater progress in bilateral cooperation in such areas as economy, production capacity, agriculture, aviation, finance, culture and education.