Foreign Secretary Velasco and China's foreign minister discuss bilateral agenda in Beijing

Mexico's Foreign Secretary Roberto Velasco Álvarez met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, where the two officials reaffirmed Mexico's desire to maintain a constructive relationship with China and identify new areas of cooperation.

Velasco said Mexico wanted to advance the bilateral agenda through concrete programs in health, education, science, innovation, the environment and rural development. He also proposed continuing the bilateral Political Consultation Mechanism between the two foreign ministries as a way to establish a joint work plan for the coming years.

The Mexican foreign secretary said Mexico is a friend to the entire world and seeks cooperation, dialogue and understanding with all nations. He said the two countries share principles including respect for sovereignty, equality among states and non-intervention. Velasco also recalled that Mexico voted in 1971 for United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 and reaffirmed the country's adherence to the one-China principle.

Education and health cooperation featured prominently in the meeting. The officials discussed scholarship and academic exchange programs as concrete examples of the mutual benefits of the relationship. They also highlighted increasingly active dialogue in multilateral forums, including the G20 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

Mexico recognised China's leadership as host of the APEC Leaders' Summit, scheduled for November in Shenzhen. On cultural ties, Velasco pointed to artistic exchanges and an exhibition at the Shanghai Museum titled “On Topo of the World Tree: Ancient Civilizations of the Americas,” which brings together nearly 3,000 archaeological and artistic pieces from Mexico and opened on July 8.