Beijing, October 10th—Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, met here today with Annita Demetriou, President of the House of Representatives of Cyprus. Stefanos Stefanou, General Secretary of the Progressive Party of Working People, Nikolas Papadopoulos, President of Democratic Party, and Nicos Tornaritis, Parliamentary Leader of the Democratic Rally, were present.

Liu expressed his appreciation to the three Cypriot major political parties for choosing China as the destination for their first joint visit. He said, both China and Cyprus have long histories and rich civilizations, and that since the establishment of diplomatic ties more than half a century ago, bilateral relations have maintained a high level of development. The Chinese side is ready to, together with the Cypriot side, firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns such as territorial sovereignty, strengthen political dialogue, deepen practical cooperation in various fields and push China-Cyprus strategic partnership to a new level. As the world faces major challenges, the Chinese side is ready to work with the Cypriot side to implement the three global initiatives. Cyprus is at the forefront of promoting China-Europe relations. The Chinese side regards Europe as an important partner and hopes Cyprus will continue to play a constructive role in the development of China-Europe relations.

Demetriou and other Cypriot guests said, both Cyprus and China are nations that adhere to principles. The Cypriot side firmly upholds the one-China principle and thanks China for its valuable support to Cyprus on international platforms such as the UN Security Council. Cyprus is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in various fields such as economy, trade and tourism, enhance coordination and cooperation in international affairs, jointly safeguard world peace and security and promote the progress of human civilization. The visit of the three major Cypriot political parties to China reflects the importance Cyprus places on developing inter-party relations with China. The three parties share strong consensus on developing friendship with China and are willing to strengthen exchanges and dialogue with the CPC. Cyprus is an important partner of China in the European Union and is willing to continue to play its role as a bridge to promote the development of Europe-China relations.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and other international and regional issues.