Premier meets with series of world leaders

Premier Li Keqiang has met with a series of foreign guests who were visiting China to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, pledging to strengthen ties with the countries and international organizations they represent.

In a meeting with Zoran Tegeltija, chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on Saturday, Li said China will import more high-quality specialty agricultural products from the European country, promote the implementation of energy and infrastructure cooperation projects, and continue to step up antipandemic cooperation.

Tegeltija said his country has always upheld the one-China principle and holds that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. His country attaches great importance to cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries, he added.

Li also met with visiting Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape via video link on Saturday. The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views and reached a broad consensus on developing bilateral relations and on other issues of shared interest, and issued a joint statement after the meeting.

Noting that PNG is an important cooperative partner of China in the South Pacific region, Li said China is willing to work with the country to enhance mutual political trust and expand mutually beneficial cooperation.

He said China is willing to expand cooperation with PNG in such fields as infrastructure, energy resources, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and welcomes more high-quality fishery products from the country entering the Chinese market.

Marape thanked China for its assistance in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, and reaffirmed that his country adheres to the one-China principle and firmly supports China's safeguarding of its national sovereignty.

Li also met with the World Health Organization director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Saturday, calling for solidarity, cooperation and more understanding among members of the international community to defeat the raging pandemic.

He said the Chinese government will continue to support the WHO's important role in fighting the pandemic and safeguarding human health.

Li also called for promoting the accessibility and affordability of vaccines as a global public good and using scientific and technological means to develop effective drugs to help defeat the virus as soon as possible.

Tedros said the WHO highly appreciates the efforts of the Chinese government and people in fighting the pandemic.

The WHO adheres to the scientific principle in tracing the origins of the virus and opposes the politicization of the tracing, he said, adding it will further cooperate with China to promote equitable access to vaccines, increase vaccination rates, and defeat the pandemic as soon as possible.

While meeting with World Intellectual Property Organization Director General Daren Tang on Saturday, Li said China will continue to comprehensively strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights and give equal protection to the IPR of Chinese and foreign-funded enterprises.

Tang congratulated China on the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics and said WIPO values cooperation with China.

Also on Saturday, China's top legislator, Li Zhanshu, held talks with Republic of Korea National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug, who led a delegation to attend the Games opening ceremony.

Li, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and ROK, and China is willing to work with the country to continuously deepen their strategic cooperative partnership.

He called on the two sides to strengthen mutual political trust, promote mutually beneficial cooperation, strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges and properly handle sensitive issues.

Park expressed hopes for strengthened cooperation with China in areas such as the economy, culture, sports and pandemic containment.