Editor's note: President Xi Jinping held a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Xiamen, Fujian province, on Monday.

By Zhang Yunbi in Xiamen

zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn

China will coordinate as South Africa takes over the BRICS presidency next year, President Xi Jinping told South African President Jacob Zuma on Monday.

Both countries should strengthen their coordination among international and regional groupings such as BRICS, Group of 20, United Nations and African Union, Xi said.

Xi noted that in recent years, the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership has maintained a strong momentum of development and the relationship is in its best shape ever.

China is ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with South Africa, constantly enrich the expectations of the comprehensive strategic partnership with more cooperation outcomes and achieve common development and progress, Xi said.

In the next stage, China is willing to work with South Africa to jointly fulfill the Belt and Road Initiative and the outcome of the Johannesburg summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, deepen bilateral cooperation in various fields and bring ties to a higher level, Xi said.

The two sides should continue their reciprocal understanding of, and support for, each other's core interests and major concerns and foster high-level political mutual trust, Xi said.

Further, the two countries should advance their cooperation in areas such as the marine economy and production capacity, and reinforce cooperation in areas including culture, science and technology, health, tourism, youth, women and media.

Zuma said the bilateral cooperation mechanism has been fruitful and the two sides have achieved positive outcomes in exchanges and cooperation regarding the economy and trade, investment, infrastructure and culture.

South Africa and China have maintained close communication and coordination in multilateral affairs, Zuma noted.

By Li Xiaokun in Xiamen

lixiaokun@chinadaily.com.cn

Beijing expects its relations with Mexico City to play a leading role in efforts to build China and Latin America into a "community of shared destiny".

President Xi Jinping made the remark when meeting Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.

In recent years, China-Mexico relations have entered a new stage of all-around cooperation, Xi said, noting a number of major projects between the two countries in fields such as oil and gas, telecommunications and financing, and "many highlights" in fields such as clean energy, manufacturing and civil aviation.

In the 45th anniversary year of the establishment of diplomatic ties, the relationship has yielded great achievements and remains promising, Xi said.

He said the two countries should build a supply chain that runs through China, Mexico and regions they influence, to make the bilateral relationship more competitive.

China invites Mexico to get deeply involved in the Belt and Road Initiative and become an important node, since the initiative naturally extends to Latin America, Xi said.

The two countries should push forward the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, unswervingly promote trade and investment liberalization and uphold multilateralism, he added.

Xi noted that China put forward the BRICS Plus model of cooperation this year, aiming to strengthen cooperation between BRICS countries and other emerging markets and developing countries.

Pena Nieto said the broad dialogue is of great significance, adding that the comprehensive strategic partnership between Mexico and China has boosted bilateral investment, trade and people-to-people exchanges.

Mexico will actively take part in the Belt and Road Initiative and strengthen cooperation with China in fields including trade, investment, energy, telecommunications, connectivity and tourism; and it will forge closer communication and coordination links with respect to international affairs, he said.

By Li Xiaokun

lixiaokun@chinadaily.com.cn

China and Thailand signed a joint action plan for strategic cooperation on Monday, as well as cooperation documents on rail and Belt and Road Initiative construction.

President Xi Jinping and Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha witnessed the signing ceremony after meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.

Xi said China and Thailand are as close as one family while feelings between the peoples are like those between brothers.

He said China attaches great importance to its relations with Thailand and will as always respect Thailand's decision in choosing the development path that suits its national situation. He would like the two countries to maintain close exchanges at high levels and take care of each other's core interests and major concerns.

China appreciates Thailand's active participation in the Belt and Road Initiative and expects to work with Thailand to implement cooperation documents, the president said.

He said he expects the two sides to strengthen cooperation in fields like investment, railways, internet financing, digital economy and e-commerce.

The two nations should also expand personnel and local exchanges and beef up legal enforcement cooperation, especially in counterterrorism, he said.

China and Thailand should deepen coordination and cooperation in multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, Asia Cooperation Dialogue and the APEC, Xi said.

He said China expects Thailand to exert its unique impact to push forward the Lancang-Mekong cooperation and to lift China-ASEAN relations to a higher level.

The Thai prime minister said his country expects to continue high-level exchanges with China, deepen bilateral and multilateral cooperation, consolidate mutual political trust and expand trade, mutual investment and personnel exchanges.

The two neighbors should also expand their cooperation in fields such as education, scientific studies and infrastructure, he said.

(China Daily 09/05/2017 page2)