On the morning of September 3, 2024, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council met with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, who is in China for the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.

Li Qiang said that in recent years, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Eritrea relations have developed rapidly. President Xi Jinping met with President Isaias Afwerki yesterday and made further plans and arrangements for the development of bilateral relations and cooperation. China is ready to work with Eritrea to follow through on the important common understandings reached between the two heads of state, carry forward the traditional friendship, deepen political mutual trust, firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, strengthen the synergy of development strategies, and continuously deepen and substantiate the China-Eritrea strategic partnership, so as to provide more impetus for their respective modernization efforts and continuously enhance the well-being of the two peoples.

Li Qiang pointed out that under the framework of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, China is ready to work with Eritrea to further expand trade exchanges, deepen cooperation in areas such as mining, agriculture, infrastructure and education, tap into the potential of cooperation in clean energy, blue economy and other areas, and create new growth drivers for bilateral cooperation. The two sides should maintain close coordination in multilateral fields, jointly safeguard the interests of developing countries, and uphold international fairness and justice. China firmly supports Africa in becoming an important pole in the world's political, economic and civilizational development, and stands ready to work with Eritrea and other African countries, as true friends and partners on the path of common development, to implement the outcomes of the FOCAC Summit and strive to build a high-level China-Eritrea and China-Africa community with a shared future.

Isaias Afwerki said that under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, China has achieved remarkable development achievements, playing an exemplary role in maintaining world peace and stability and supporting Africa's development and revitalization, which Eritrea highly appreciates. Eritrea firmly abides by the one-China principle and firmly supports China's positions on the Taiwan question and issues related to Xinjiang, Xizang, Hong Kong and the South China Sea, and resolutely opposes interference in China's internal affairs and containment of China's development. Eritrea is ready to take the opportunity of deepening the strategic partnership with China to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as infrastructure construction, mining and agriculture, with a view to elevate Eritrea-China and Africa-China relations to higher levels in the new era, work together to tackle global challenges, jointly oppose hegemonism, and make greater contributions to human development and progress as well as international fairness and justice. Eritrea is ready to make joint efforts with China to ensure the complete success of the FOCAC Summit.

Wu Zhenglong was present at the meeting.