President Xi meets Slovak President Peter Pellegrini in Beijing

President Xi Jinping hosts his Slovak counterpart Peter Pellegrini, who is on a three-day state visit to China, with a grand welcome ceremony and bilateral meeting for continued advancement of relations.

Xi calls on both sides to tap the potential for collaboration in emerging sectors while broadening cooperation in culture, sports, tourism, youth and subnational exchanges.

The proceedings take place in the Great Hall of the People where Pellegrini, the first Slovak president to visit China in 23 years, receives a ceremonial red-carpet welcome, following the playing of national anthems and a 21-gun salute.

The two heads of state review the People's Liberation Army guard of honour together and then return to the reviewing stand to watch a march-past.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other senior officials are present at the ceremony.

As they step into formal bilateral discussions, President Xi extends the hope that Slovakia will play a constructive role in promoting the sound and steady growth of China's relations with the European Union, focusing on properly handling conflicts.

He stresses the key lies in equal consultation and seeking common ground while reserving differences.

With Slovakia, Xi hails the countries' robust friendship over the years and says China is willing to develop a strategic partnership that features "mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, stability and resilience," state media reports.

Xi maps out collaborative efforts in trade and investment as well as frontier sectors including clean energy, digital economy, robotics manufacturing, and artificial intelligence.

Pellegrini reiterates Slovakia's steadfast adherence to the one-China principle and says he believes his ongoing visit will inject new impetus into economic and diplomatic exchanges.

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{President Xi Jinping meets Slovak President Peter Pellegrini in Beijing}

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