Xi meets Brunei's crown prince, calling for deepening practical cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office of Brunei Darussalam, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 12, 2026. Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah is on an official visit to China. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) BEIJING, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office of Brunei Darussalam, in Beijing on Tuesday, calling for strengthening strategic communication and deepening practical cooperation. China and Brunei are close and friendly neighbors, with the Maritime Silk Road binding the two countries together, Xi said, adding that the cooperation between the two countries has not only delivered tangible benefits to the two peoples, but also set a good example of equal treatment and win-win cooperation between countries of different sizes. The important consensus to build a China-Brunei community with a shared future, reached with Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah last year, has opened a new chapter in bilateral relations, Xi said. This year marks the 35th anniversary of bilateral ties, Xi said, adding that faced with a turbulent and changing international landscape, the two sides should take the building of a China-Brunei community with a shared future as the guideline, to strengthen strategic communication, deepen practical cooperation, and inject more positive energy into regional peace and stability. This year marks the beginning of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), while Brunei is forging ahead toward its Wawasan 2035, Xi pointed out. He called on both sides to take this as a point of convergence to push China-Brunei cooperation to a new height. China and Brunei should be strategic partners with a high-level mutual trust, and continue to firmly support each other, Xi said, stressing that both sides should be development partners pursuing mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, advance major flagship cooperation projects, and expand cooperation in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the digital economy. China and Brunei should be partners bonded by civilization, jointly implement the Global Civilization Initiative, and foster closer people-to-people and cultural exchanges, Xi said. Xi also called on both sides to be partners in global governance and work with ASEAN countries to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future, turning the region into a benchmark of peace, stability, development, and prosperity amidst profound changes unseen in a century. Billah conveyed the sincere greetings from the Brunei's Sultan to President Xi. He said Brunei firmly abides by the one-China policy. China has played a key role in promoting world peace and stability, upholding multilateralism and the international order, the crown prince said, adding that Brunei highly appreciates the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity and the Global Governance Initiative, both proposed by Xi. Brunei looks forward to working closely with China to deepen ASEAN-China cooperation and safeguard regional prosperity and stability, Billah said. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office of Brunei Darussalam, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 12, 2026. Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah is on an official visit to China. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)