PNG foreign minister Rimbink Pato meets Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Friday (Xinhua)

STAFF REPORTER | Xinhua

BEIJING - Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on Friday met with visiting Papua New Guinean foreign minister Rimbink Pato.

China is supporting PNG in holding the annual summit of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) this year and is ready to enhance bilateral coordination and cooperation under the APEC framework, Mr Wang said.

He also said Chinese president Xi Jinping will visit PNG for the APEC economic leaders' meeting in November.

Both sides should take this opportunity to promote bilateral cooperation in various fields and deepen cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as making joint efforts to maintain the multilateral trading system and push the bilateral strategic partnership into a new era, Mr Wang said.

Mr Pato said the people of PNG are looking forward to President Xi's visit, adding that PNG is ready to work with China to boost cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative so as to make it a model in the Pacific region.