On June 13, 2017, Special Representative of the Chinese Government on African Affairs Xu Jinghu, who was visiting Madagascar, met with President Hery Rajaonarimampianina of Madagascar. Both sides mainly exchanged in-depth views on the sound development of bilateral relations. H.E. Yang Xiaorong, Chinese Ambassador to Madagascar was present.

Special Representative Xu Jinghu said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Madagascar 45 years ago, the two countries have always enjoyed sincere friendship and equal treatment, with a healthy and stable development of bilateral relations and fruitful achievements in various fields. This March, Your Excellency President attended the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2017 and visited China, during which the leaders of both countries jointly elevate bilateral relations to comprehensive cooperative partnership, charting the course for the development of bilateral relations in the new period. At present, bilateral relations are facing important opportunities for cooperation. China is willing to make joint efforts with Madagascar, take the implementation of the consensus reached by leaders of both countries as the mainline, enhance the integration of development strategies within the frameworks of the “Belt and Road” and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), comprehensively deepen cooperation in various fields, and constantly enrich the connotation of China-Madagascar comprehensive cooperative partnership, in a bid to better benefit the two countries and the two peoples.

President Hery Rajaonarimampianina expressed that Madagascar attaches great importance to developing its relations with China. In recent years, Madagascar and China have enjoyed a smooth development in bilateral relations and achieved fruitful outcomes from cooperation, and bilateral friendship has taken deeper root in people’s hearts. This March, he paid a successful visit to China, during which he and President Xi Jinping reached much consensus on the development of Madagascar-China relations, and decided to elevate bilateral relations to new highs, which injects new impetus into the development of bilateral relations. The country thanks China for its long-term and precious support to Madagascar’s economic and social development, and stands ready to, together with China, intensify coordination, well implement the important consensus reached by leaders of both countries, constantly advance the implementation of outcomes of the FOCAC Johannesburg Summit, and actively participate in the “Belt and Road” construction, in a bid to push bilateral relations for better and faster development.

During her visit in Madagascar, Special Representative Xu Jinghu met respectively with Defence Minister and Acting Foreign Minister Béni Xavier Rasolofonirina and Secretary General of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Modeste Randrianarivony of Madagascar.