Speaker stresses depth of Bahraini-Chinese relations

Manama, Sept. 15 (BNA): Speaker of the Council of Representatives, Fawzia bint Abdulla Zainal, has stressed the depth of the distinguished friendly Bahraini-Chinese relations, strengthened steadily thanks to the good relations between His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and President Xi Jinping of China, in order to serve shared interests. The Speaker made the statements during an extended meeting she had held with the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress (NPC), Li Zhanshu, in which they discussed ways to bolster bilateral relations across various fields. Zainal commended the role played by the two friendly countries in achieving security, stability and development in the region and the world, as well as their continuous endeavours to exchange expertise and legislative experiences, which contributes to the development of the legal structure supporting various issues, especially regarding the settlement of disputes and conflicts in the region by peaceful and diplomatic means, rejection of violence and extremism, in addition to combating terrorism. The speaker affirmed the growing interest of the legislative branch in Bahrain in enhancing relations between the kingdom and China. She highlighted the important agreements and memoranda of understanding signed between the two countries, expressing hope that the agreement on mutual exemption of holders of diplomatic, service and private passports from visas will be extended to cover all citizens. The speaker called on her Chinese counterpart to be informed about Bahrain’s business-friendly atmosphere, noting that Bahrain welcomes the Chinese investments in all fields. The two sides exchanged invitations for reciprocal parliamentary delegations’ visits to pave the way for the two countries to achieve more rapprochement, cooperation and coordination. They discussed the parliamentary efforts to enhance bilateral economic, trade and investment relations, based on China’s advanced industrial production and exportation, on the one hand, and Bahrain’s distinguished features, including its advanced financial centre, attractive and secure investment atmosphere, free and open economy and distinguished strategic location, in addition to its incentives to investors, including fair legislations, facilities and diverse services, on the other. The Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress appreciated the kingdom and the role it is playing in achieving peace and stability for peoples of the region, thanks to the leadership of HM King Hamad, and the efforts exerted by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, expressing constant readiness to exert all efforts to strengthen relations between the two countries. He affirmed that efforts are being made to encourage the Chinese companies to increase their investments in Bahrain, and broaden bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade, energy, infrastructure and e-commerce. He reiterated China's firm stance in rejecting all forms of foreign interference in Bahrain, or encroaching on its sovereignty, under the pretext of democratic or human rights practices, stressing China's support for the kingdom in everything that would serve its security and stability.