China, Brunei confer on ties, vowing to step up cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping met Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah in Beijing on Friday to confer on bilateral ties and cooperation in many fields.

Xi said Hassanal was the first foreign leader he received after he was elected the Chinese president which highlighted the great importance China has attached to its relations with Brunei as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Xi also expressed his appreciation to the contribution from Hassanal to fostering China-Brunei ties, voicing his hope to step up the bilateral relations to a higher level via Hassanal's China visit.

For his part, Hassanal said he was pleased to see the two-way trade reached one billion U.S. dollars in 2011, which indicated the robust growth of the bilateral cooperation in such fields as energy and infrastructure.

He also voiced his invitations for the Chinese companies to boost their business and further involve into Brunei's economic development.

Hassanal will also attend the opening ceremony of the annual Boao Forum for Asia on Saturday in southern Hainan Province.