Visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Bruneian Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah agreed on Friday to further promote the strategic cooperative relationship between their two countries in Bandar Seri Begawan.

At a meeting with Hassanal, Li said that China attaches great importance to its ties with Brunei and stands ready to uplift the bilateral strategic cooperation to a new level.

China and Brunei should increase high-level contact and beef up coordination on bilateral and major international issues, he urged.

Li pointed out that China is willing to deepen pragmatic cooperation with Brunei, promote rapid growth of two-way trade, and further enhance bilateral cooperation in infrastructure construction, agriculture and fisheries.

The two countries should push forward energy cooperation and support relevant enterprises to carry out joint exploration and exploitation of maritime oil and gas resources for mutual benefit, he said.

The Chinese premier also called for closer people-to-people exchanges, so as to enhance mutual understanding and pass on the friendship from generation to generation.

Noting that Brunei holds the rotating chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Li praised the country's role in ensuring the healthy and steady development of China-ASEAN relations.

For his part, Hassanal hailed the fruitful cooperation between Brunei and China in various fields and China's contribution to regional peace, stability and prosperity, saying China is an important cooperation partner of his country.

Brunei, he said, is willing to work with China to intensify strategic communication, broaden win-win cooperation and raise bilateral relations to a higher level.

Hassanal also expressed Brunei's readiness to boost energy and maritime cooperation with China for common development, and its commitment to further promoting ASEAN-China relations.

(Xinhua News Agency October 11, 2013)