On February 29, 2016, President Xi Jinping accepted credentials presented by ten new ambassadors to China at the Great Hall of the People. The ten newly-appointed ambassadors were: John Aquilina from Malta, Ronald Keller from the Netherlands, Vijay Gokhale from India, Bendito dos Santos Freitas from Timor-Leste, Paul Andrew Gomez from Bahamas, Bedrich Kopecky from the Czech Republic, Jan Adams from Australia, Maris Selga from Latvia, Aureliu Ciokoi from Moldova, and Vandy Bouthasavong from Laos.

Xi Jinping welcomed the ambassadors to assume office in China, and asked them to convey sincere greetings and best wishes to the leaders and people of their own countries. Xi Jinping spoke positively of China’s sound relations with all these countries and the profound friendship between the Chinese people and the peoples of these countries. He pointed out that China attaches great importance to developing relations with these countries and is willing to consolidate traditional friendship, promote mutually beneficial cooperation, deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and strengthen cooperation in multilateral organizations. The Chinese government will provide convenience and support for the work of the ambassadors. He hoped that the ambassadors will make positive contributions to enhancing China’s relations with countries concerned and cooperation in various fields during their term of office.

The ambassadors conveyed kind greetings and best wishes from the leaders of their own countries to President Xi Jinping and the Chinese people, and spoke highly of China’s fast development and the important role it plays in international affairs. The ambassadors said that their countries attach great importance to developing their relations with China. They are greatly honored to serve as ambassadors to China, and will be fully committed to promoting their countries’ friendly cooperation with China and deepening mutual understanding between their own people and the Chinese people, so as to realize mutual benefit and win-win results.

On the same day, Xi Jinping met at the Great Hall of the People with Rashid Olimov, the newly-appointed Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and hoped that he would make new contributions to promoting cooperation in all areas of the SCO.