The 35th anniversary celebration of the diplomatic relations between China and Ecuador was celebrated Friday, as Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Rafael Correa of Ecuador exchange congratulatory remarks, Xinhua reported.
Chinese President Xi, in his message, said that China-Ecuador relations over the past 35 years have been setting on a smooth progress. Also, after Correa took charge, bilateral ties continued its growth through their joint efforts.
Xi added that the deepening of their pragmatic cooperation as well as the expansion of people-to-people exchanges resulted in closer contacts at various levels between the two countries.
During his last meeting with Correa held in July 2014 in Brazil, the two exchanged views and reached significant consensus on further strengthening China-Ecuador cooperation in various fields, as well as developing bilateral ties, whose development, Xi said, is in the fundamental interest of the two countries and their peoples.
"I attach great importance to the development of China-Ecuador relations," Xi said.
"Taking the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties as an opportunity, I am willing to make concerted efforts with you to continually promote our two countries' relations to a new stage," he continued.
In his message, Correa emphasized that the decision of establishing diplomatic ties, which Chinese and Ecuadorian leaders began in the early 1980s, reflected the fundamental interests of the two countries.
Over the past 35 years, especially in recent years, Ecuador and China have kept deepening political relations and broadening trade and economic exchanges, and held similar positions on important international issues, he said.
He also shared his belief that both countries will be able to take bilateral relations on a whole new level.
In the same event, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also exchanged congratulatory remarks with his Ecuadorian counterpart, Ricardo Patino.