On the evening of October 3, 2016 local time, President Rafael Correa of Ecuador met in Quito with visiting Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Rafael Correa said that Ecuador and China are sincere friends and the strategic partnership between the two countries has served as an example for the relations between the Latin American countries and China. Bilateral practical cooperation has brought tangible benefits to the two peoples. Ecuador appreciates China’s great support and assistance for its development, especially the immediate assistance to the earthquake disaster it suffered this year. Ecuador is willing to work with China to intensify high-level exchanges, strengthen political mutual trust and enhance coordination and cooperation in international affairs. Ecuador expects to improve its national situation through expanding practical cooperation with China, constructing strategic projects, elevating its economic development level, and speeding up the process of industrialization.

Wang Yi first extended the kind greetings of President Xi Jinping to Rafael Correa. Wang Yi said that in recent years, Ecuador has been actively exploring the development path suitable for its own national conditions and made gratifying achievements. In 2015, President Xi Jinping and President Rafael Correa jointly declared to establish China-Ecuador strategic partnership, lifting bilateral relations to a new height. The two sides enjoy mutual trust and support in politics, as well as fruitful cooperation achievements in bilateral and international affairs. China is willing to work together with Ecuador to implement the consensus reached between the heads of state, constantly deepen and expand bilateral strategic partnership, and promote further development of China-Ecuador relationship at a higher level. The two sides should maintain high-level exchanges and enhance political mutual trust; make full use of economic complementary advantages of the two countries, deepen practical cooperation in such fields as production capacity, energy, infrastructure construction and finance, and cope together with the challenges resulting from the current sluggish recovery of global economy, in order to help Ecuador achieve industrialization and strengthen its capability of self-driven development; expand people-to-people and cultural exchanges in such fields as education, culture, science and technology and tourism; strengthen coordination and cooperation in major international issues, push forward the overall cooperation between China and the Latin American countries, and safeguard together the interests of developing countries. The Chinese government and its people empathize with Ecuador over the strong earthquake hitting the country and will continue to provide support and assistance for its post-disaster reconstruction.