On 21 October 2013, President Xi Jinping met at the Great Hall of the People with President of Macedonia Gjorge Ivanov, who came to China for the 14th Western China International Fair (WCIF).

Xi Jinping expressed that over the 20 years since the establishment of diplomatic relationship, bilateral relations have moved towards maturity based on mutual respect and equality with increasingly frequent high-level exchanges, unceasingly consolidated political mutual trust and positive progress of mutually beneficial cooperation in all fields. China and Macedonia both support each other for following the path of development suited to their own national conditions. It is an important principle for the two countries to strengthen exchanges and cooperation. China is ready to join hands with Macedonia to promote practical cooperation, to effectively implement the projects on infrastructure construction cooperation, to build agricultural cooperation into a new growth point of bilateral cooperation, to expand exchanges in the fields of education, culture, arts and traditional Chinese medicine and to cement the social foundation of bilateral relations, so as to jointly push for accelerated development and more achievements of China-Macedonia relations.

Xi Jinping expressed that China enjoys profound traditional friendship with Central and Eastern European (CEE) Countries. Bilateral cooperation now enjoys a strong growth momentum and is moving ahead with a more positive and practical attitude. China attaches importance to China-EU relations and the status of CEE Countries in the development of Europe. China is ready to make use of the important platform of China-CEE Cooperation to leverage complementary advantages and to push for more substantive outcomes of cooperation.

Ivanov expressed that the Macedonian people hold friendly feelings towards the Chinese people and the two countries have carried out sound cooperation in the fields of politics, economy, people-to-people and cultural exchanges as well as in international and regional affairs. The Macedonian side is grateful for China's support and help and is ready, taking the opportunity of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Macedonia-China diplomatic relationship, to keep close high-level exchanges and people-to-people and cultural contacts, to strengthen practical cooperation between the two countries under the bilateral as well as EU-China, CEE-China frameworks, so as to push forward bilateral friendship to a new high. China is welcomed to expand investment in Macedonia and the Macedonian side will provide a favourable environment for this. Macedonia is ready to make positive efforts to promote the development of EU-China relations and CEE-China relations.

State Councilor Yang Jiechi was present at the meeting.